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MEMOIRS 



OF THE 



CONFEDEKATE WAR FOR 
INDEPENDENCE 



MEMOIRS 



CONFEDERATE WAR 



INDEPENDENCE. 



BY 



HEROS VON BORCKE, 

LATELY CHIEF OF STAFF TO GENERAL J. E. B. STUART. 



^omjyletij in mxt Walnut, wii\i n P^|r» 



PHILADELPHIA: 

J. B. LIPPINCOTT & CO. 

1867. 






By iransfM 
5 k\m 



Ai. 

I 

TO MY OLD COMRADES OF 

THE LATE AEMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA, 

BY ONE OF ITS SOLDIERS, 

HEEOS VON" BOECKE. 



PREFACE. 



The kind interest with which the public received 
the Memoirs as they appeared in ' Blackwood's 
Magazine' induced me to think of republishing 
them. When they were on the point of republica- 
tion, the news reached me that my King had called 
his people to arms against Austria and her allies. I 
offered at once my sword to my native country, and 
had the proud satisfaction of fighting, in the army 
of Prince Frederick Charles, in the great battle of 
Konigsgraetz, and of taking part in the victorious 
advance through Bohemia, Moravia, and the Duchy 
of Austria. A new great war has turned the interest 
of the public to new matters, — many months have 
passed away since the termination of the great 
American struggle, — and many may have forgotten 
that the splendid Army of Virginia was ever in 
existence ; but I do not hesitate to publish my 
account of battles lost and won, trusting that there 
are many still left who will read with some interest 
the simple narrative of a soldier who is proud to 
have shared the sufferings and the glory of the 
unfortunate people of the late Confederacy. 

HEEOS VON BOECKE, 

OF THE 3d PRUSSIAN DRAGOONS. 

PRTTSSIA, October 25, 1866. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 

PAOB 

Voyage, and arrival in tlie States, 1 

CHAPTER 11. 

The battle of Seven Pines— The Pamunkey expedition, . . .17 

CHAPTER III. 

The battle of Mechanicsville— The battle of Coal Harbour or 
Gaines' Mill — Ride over the battle-field — Success at the White 
House — Eetiections on the battles before Richmond, . . . 35 

CHAPTER IV. 

Ride to Richmond — Expedition on the James river — A prisoner of 
the Ninth Virginia Cavalry — Fishing and shooting — Sunday in 
Camp — Headquarters at Hanover Court-house — Camp scenes — 
Fights and reconnaissances — Rattlesnake and bull-frog — De- 
parture from Dundee, 50 

CHAPTER V. 

Opening of the summer campaign in Virginia — Adventure at Ver- 
diersville — The first cavalry-fight at Brandy Station — Fight at 
Cunningham's Ford — Heavy artillery-fight between the Hazel 
and Rappahannock rivers — Passage of the latter, and march to 
Warrenton and Catlett's Station — Artillery engagement — Re- 
crossing of the Rappahannock— Fights at Waterloo Bridge- 
March to Salem and Bristow Station— Capture of the large Fede- 
ral supply-depots — Fight at Manassas Plains — Fights prelimi- 
nary to the second battle of Manassas — Second great battle of 
Manassas, or battle of Groveton — From the second battle of 
Manassas to the invasion of Maryland, 70 



VUl CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER VI. 

The autumn campaign in Maryland — Grand ball at Urbana — 
Start from Urbana — Fights near Frederick and Middletown — 
March to Harper's Ferry — Fight at Cranipton's Gap — Exciting 
time ill Pleasant Valley — Surrender of Harper's Ferry — March to 
Sharpsburg— Bombardment of Sharpsburg — The battle of Sharps- 
burg or Antietam — Day after the battle, and recrossing the 
Potomac, 124 

CHAPTER VII. 

Demonstration into Maryland — Outpost-duty and fights on the 
Potomac — Kenewed fighting, and passage of the Potomac by 
night— Camp at Martinsburg and Charlestown — Virginia part- 
ridges and a Virgmia plantation — Escape of a spy— Advance 
and repulse of the enemy — Visits to neighbours, . . , 167 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Change of headquarters — Fighting resumed — Camp life at "The 
Bower " — Pleasantries with Pleasanton — We lose and recapture 
Martinsburg— Osculatory ovation at Shepherdstown — With a 
flag of truce into the enemy's lines — Field-sports and dramatic 
entertainments — New uniform coat for General Jackson, . . 183 

CHAPTER IX. 

The expedition into Pennsylvania— Life at " The Bower " during 
General Stuart's absence— The General's owm report of the ex- 
pedition—Camp life at " The Bower" continued, and threatened 
final departure, with an interlude of two days' fighting near 
Kearneysville — A vivacious visitor — Military review — At last Ave 
break up camp at "The Bower," 205 

CHAPTER X. 

Change of base— Crossing of the Shenandoah— Fights in Loudoun 
and Fauquier — Crossing of the Rappahannock — Fights in the 
region between the Hazel and Rappahannock rivers— Headquar- 
ters near Culpepper Court-house— My departure for Richmond 
—Fights at the Pothouse and Aldie— Reception at Middleburg, 222 

CHAPTER XL 

Fights near Union— Retreat towards Upperville— Fight near Up- 
perville — Retreat towards Paris, 233 

CHAPTER XII. 

Night-ride to Jackson's camp — Return across the mountains— 
We are ciit off by the enemy— Fight at Barber's Cross-roads- 
Retreat towards Orleans and across the Rappahannock — Fights 
near Waterloo Bridge and Jefferson — Crossing of the Hazel river 
— Bivouac in the snow— Scout with General Stuart— Headquar- 
ters near Culpepper Court-house— Reconnaissance in force, and 
fight near Euunetsville, 245 



CONTENTS. ix 



CHAPTER XIII. 

Camp -life at headquarters near Culpepper Coui-t-liouse — Ten 
days in Richmond — Return to headquarters — A disagreeable 
journey — Buruside's change of base — Headquarters near Fred- 
ericksburg— Description of the town— Danger of our English 
visitor— Opossum-hunting, 264 

CHAPTER XIV. 

Disposition of our cavalry force— Peiham's fight with gunboats — 
Great snowball engagement — Another English visitor — Amuse- 
ments of the camp, 276 

CHAPTER XV. 

Bombardment of Fredericksburg- Events preceding the battle of 
Fredericksburg, 285 

CHAPTER XVI. 
The great battle of Fredericksburg, 298 

CHAPTER XVII. 

The events of the 14th, 15th, and 16th December, . . . .314 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

Quiet camp life — The army in winter quarters — A visit to the other 
side of the Rappahannock — Stuart's expedition to Dumfries — 
Christmas in camp — Purchase of a carriage and horses — English 
visitors, 324 

CHAPTER XIX. 

Life in camp during January and February — An English visitor — 
• Ride to a wedding — A new English visitor — A fortnight at Cul- 
pepper Court-house- Fight at Kelly's Ford— Peiham's death and 
funeral honours in Richmond — Breaking-up of winter quarters, . 337 

CHAPTER XX. 

The spring campaign of 1863 : camp near Culpepper — Fights on 
the Rappahannock— Visit of a Prussian officer — Rides in the 
neighbourhood — Hooker's advance and flank march— Night-fight 
near Tod's Tavern, 353 

CHAPTER XXI. 

Fight near the Furnace— Narrow escape of Jackson and Stuart — 
Jackson's flank march— First battle of the Wilderness, 2d May 
1863, 370 

CHAPTER XXII. 

The battle of Chancellorsville an'l consequent events, May 3 to 6, . 380 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

Start after Stoneman — I am reported kDled — Headquarters n( 
Orange Court-house— Stonewall Jackson's death — Reorganisati 
of the army — Headquarters once more at Culpepper— Great i 
view of the cavalry corps — Great cavalry battle at Brandy St 
tion, 9th June 1863, 

CHAPTER XXIV. 

Commencement of the summer campaign— Forward movement > 
the army of Virginia — Cavalry fights in Loudoun and Fauquit 
counties— The cavalry fight near Middleburg, 19th of June- 
am severely wounded— Stay at Upperville, and retreat from thei 
to Mr B.'s plantation— The last eighteen months of my stay i 
the Confederacy — Departure for Richmond, and sojourn at th 
capital and in the vicinity — Winter 1863-64 — Stuart's death- 
Departure for England, . . 4 . , . . 




MEM I R-^S 



OF THE 



CONFEDEEATE WAE, 



CHAPTEE I. 

VOYAGE, AND ARRIVAL IN THE STATES. 

On the 29tli day of April 1862, I embarked at 
Queenstown on board the fine new steamer Hero, a 
vessel which had been built for running the block- 
ade into the ports of the Confederate States of 
America, and was soon upon the bright waters of the 
Channel, bound for the theatre of war in the New 
World. Several most agreeable companions shared 
with me the accommodations of the steamer, and 
with smooth seas and pleasant skies we made a 
delightful voyage of twenty days to Nassau, un- 
attended by any other than the ordinary incidents of. 
the ocean transit. Off the Spanish coast we skirted 
a heavy gale ; but as we proceeded from high to low 
latitudes the weather became every day more and 
more charming, until we ran upon an even keel into 
the blue phosphorescent seas that lave the coral reefs 
of the Bahamas. Here we met with an interruption 
which seemed likely for a time to terminate my 
American adventures, if I may be allowed the Hiber- 

A 



2 NARROW ESCAPE FRO^r CAPTURE. 

nicism, before tliey had begun. As we were nearing 
the island of New Providence, witbin sight of the 
island of Abaco, a steamer appeared on our quarter 
bearing towards us under English colours. The cap- 
tain of the Hero, apprehending no trouble from a 
vessel which he mistook for the regular English 
mail-packet, kept on his course, though it would 
have been an easy matter to escape the pursuit of 
the stranger had he supposed her intentions were 
unfriendly. As we came within range, a light puff 
of smoke from the stranger's side, and the whiz of a 
shell through the air a little astern of us, made it clear 
enough that the purpose was to board the Hero; and 
accordingly our engines were immediately stopped, 
and there speedily danced alongside a small boat, from 
which three Federal officers ascended to our decks. 
The steamer proved to be the U.S. gunboat Merce- 
dita, and her commander, not doubting for a moment 
that he had made a valuable capture, had sent off a 
boat's crew to take possession of his prize. Whether 
the officers who represented him were annoyed at 
discovering that the Hero was not as yet liable to 
capture, or whether incivility was habitual to them, it 
is certain that they behaved toAvards us with a degree 
of rudeness such as I have rarely witnessed. After a 
detention of five hours, however, we were permitted to 
continue our course ; the Federal officers rowed back 
to the Mercedita, and we had the satisfaction of 
seeing that vigilant cruiser soon become a mere 
speck on the evening horizon. 

I was the more disturbed by this most unwel- 
come visitation, because it deprived me of many 
valuable papers and MSS., letters of introduction, 
and the like, which, fearing they might be seized 
and read by our visitors, I burned upon their ap- 
proach. 

A few hours later the island of Abaco appeared 
plainly in view, and with the rich sunset we ran past 
the islets of coral, each tufted with tropical vegeta- 



LANDING AT NASSAU. ' 3 

tion, wliicli mark the entrance of the harbour of 
Nassau. The cargo of the Hero consisting in great 
part of powder, we were compelled, in accordance 
with the regulations of the port, to lie-to five miles 
off shore ; but the vessel having been signalled, a 
boat was soon sent to us, from which stepped aboard 
a young English midshipman who could not have 
been more than fourteen years of age, but who 
seemed fully conscious of the importance wherewith 
he was clothed by her Majesty's uniform. This 
beardless of&cer, having taken a look at the ship's 
papers and a glass of grog with becoming dignity, 
returned to Nassau, leaving us ill content to remain^ 
all night in the steamer, from which we saw the 
sparkling lights of the city and caught the delicious 
perfume wafted seaward from the island. At six 
o'clock next morning we found the ship surrounded 
by barges filled with negroes, who clamoured loudly 
for the privilege of taking us ashore. We had some 
difficulty in conducting negotiations from the ship's 
side amid the horrible din that assailed our ears, but 
we at last succeeded in securing a boat with six 
dusky oarsmen, two or three of them Africans by 
birth, who pulled us to the landing in two and a half 
hours. The sun ]30ured down upon the sea with 
almost intolerable fervour, but there was refreshment 
in looking into the cool blue water, which was so 
marvellously clear that we could easily distinguish 
the pebbles strewn upon the bottom at the depth of 
forty feet. 

New Providence is the smallest of the Bahamas, 
belonging to the West Indian Archipelago, and con- 
tains about 13,000 inhabitants, of whom two-thirds 
are free negroes, • under the colonial government of 
Great Britain. Nassau, its only port, was a gay 
enough little place at the time of my visit, though, 
doubtless, with the discontinuance of its trade with 
the Southern ports, through the Federal blockade, 
it has subsided into its normal quietude ; the busy 



4 FIRST IxMPRESSIONS OF IT. 

population that was then seen upon its wharves has 
most probably disappeared, and the buzz of animated 
conversation is heard no more on summer evenings 
along the verandahs of the Eoyal Victoria Hotel. 
This large and comfortable establishment occupies 
the highest point of the island, and looks down upon 
the town, which stretches away to the right and left, 
terraced from the sea in regular gradations of ascent. 
What strikes one most forcibly in the external ap- 
pearance of Nassau are the violent contrasts it 
presents to the eye. Nothing is subdued. The white 
Spanish houses absolutely glister in the overpowering 
glare of the sun. The roofs are as white as if they 
were covered with snow, being constructed, like the 
walls, of the coral formation of the island. The 
streets and roadways are dazzlingly white, and an 
impalpable dust rises in white clouds from every 
passing vehicle. The men are dressed in white 
from top to toe — white muslin turbans around their 
straw hats, and their feet encased in white canvass 
shoes, like those worn by the boating crews of the 
Thames rowing-clubs. Such are the lights of the 
picture. The shadows are supplied by the dark foli- 
age of the orange and banana trees, the dense shade 
of the laurel thickets, and the intense black of 
the faces of the negroes. Black waiters at the 
hotel, black shopkeepers in the town, black soldiers 
on guard, black helles on the promenade — the effect 
was striking against the whiteness of the buildings 
and the thorougiifares. The "irrepressible negro" 
asserts himself immensely at Nassau. He seeks, and 
not altogether in vain, to unite the greatest possible 
amount of consequence with the least possible amount 
of work. But the negro women amused me most of 
any. In all their native hideousness of form and 
feature, they bedizen their persons with European 
costumes, of every fashion, fabric, and colour, and 
walk the streets with a solemn dignity that even 
a Spanish hidalgo might envy. 



\ 

\ 

TROPICAL SCENERY. 5 

I had not supposed that I should he so much im- 
pressed with the variety and beauty of the vegetable 
and insect life of the tropics ; but even the broil- 
ing sun did not deter me from making daily little 
excursions around the island, armed with a white 
cotton umbrella, and wearing, after the manner of 
the foreign residents, the broad-brimmed Panama hat 
with its encircling muslin turban. I must have 
afforded some amusement to the natives, and others 
familiar with tropical scenery, as I stalked abroad 
thus defended, stopping every now and then to exa- 
mine some strange and beautiful flower, or to admire 
the innumerable humming-birds and gorgeous but- 
terflies that fluttered above it, or to purchase, at the 
stalls of the incessantly chattering negresses, luscious 
fruits which they offered me, and of which I did not 
even know the name. The heat of the day was tem- 
pered, up to the hour of 10 A.M., by a mild sea-breeze, 
but the air then became perfectly calm and slumber- 
ous, and about mid-day the sun was burning with 
such power that one felt oppressed as by a leaden 
weight upon the chest. I rose generally at five in 
the morning and strolled down to the negro cottages, 
some of which were very pleasant little dwellings, 
and all were surrounded by small gardens filled with 
a profusion of fruit and flowers. Here I first saw 
the pine-apple growing in the open air, the orange- 
tree, heaA^ with its golden globes and fragrant blos- 
soms, the palmetto, and the cocoa-palm with its ripen- 
ing nuts, the cactus of every size, from the small 
creeper, winding along the rocks and walls, to the 
large tree-like specimen that lifts its head high above 
the ground, and flings out its scarlet bloom like a 
banner in the air. Near to the hotel was a magnifi- 
cent cotton-tree of tremendous size, the trunk being 
fifteen feet in diameter, and the branches covering 
nearly an acre of ground, which was justly esteemed 
the pride of the island. Here, as indeed every- 
where else, were hundreds of lizards darting over the 



6 SUNSET FEOM OUR HOTEL. 

rocky surface, of which the most interesting was the 
chameleon, so strangely and rapidly changing its 
colours. 

Among the guests in the Eoyal Victoria Hotel at 
this time were many gentlemen of the Confederate 
States, who, as soon as my intentions were made 
known to them, manifested the liveliest interest in 
my behalf; and a number of captains of steamers 
destined for Southern ports, with like unanimity, 
offered me a free passage to the " sunny South." It 
was our custom to assemble on the highest verandah 
of the building to witness the setting of the sun, 
which seemed to dive into the blue ocean, reddening 
and gilding with transient splendours the distant 
reefs of coral. ISTo lingering, pensive twilight, such 
as belongs to the latitude of England in the long 
days of summer, marks the approach of night in the 
Bahamas. For a brief period sky and wave are tinged 
with crimson, and then " at one stride came the 
dark." The decline of the sun was the signal for all 
the flowers, shrivelled and half-killed by the day's 
heat, to open their long-closed petals, lading the 
air with voluptuous perfumes, which were borne to 
us by every passing breeze. INIyriads of fire-flies 
glittered around us ; the temperature was delight- 
ful; the stars shone with a brilliancy unknown to 
me; and I enjoyed the strange, mysterious beauty 
of those tropical nights more deeply than I can 
express. 

I had linked my fortunes upon the Atlantic with 
those of the Hero, but it very soon appeared that she 
would be obliged to unload a portion of her cargo at 
Nassau, and thus be detained at that port for several 
weeks. The news from America by every arrival be- 
came more and more exciting. It a|)peared inevitable 
that heavy battles would very soon be fought before 
Eichmond, and I earnestly desired to take an active 
part in them. My position, besides, was embarrass- 
ing. My letters of introduction and recommenda- 



BLOCKADE -RUNNING. 7 

tion had been destroyed. I did not know a hnman 
being in the foreign country whither I was going, nor 
did I even speak the English language. I was at a 
loss, therefore, to conjecture how I should carry out 
my objects. At this juncture, one of my travelling 
companions, Mr W., readily apprehending my diffi- 
culty, gave me the best proof of his friendship by 
offering to run the blockade with me in the next 
steamer to Charleston, and accompany me, without 
loss of time, to Kichmond, where he would present 
me to the authorities. Accordingly we found our- 
selves, five days after our arrival at Nassau, early on 
the morning of the 22d May, on board the steamer 
Kate, and soon Nassau, with its white houses and 
white streets, and dark laurel thickets, and harbour 
crowded with steamers, among which I regarded with 
peculiar interest the well-known Nashville, was far 
behind, us. 

The first two days of our voyage to Charleston 
passed without incident, but on the morning of 
the third we ran in sight of the coast of Florida, 
and the greatest excitement prevailed in our small 
community, the Federal blockading squadron being, 
as we knew, not far distant. Our furnaces were fed 
with the anthracite coal of America, which emits but 
little smoke to arrest the notice of blockaders ; yet 
we proceeded very cautiously at half-speed, until we 
arrived within fifty miles by chart of Charleston 
harbour, when we stopped to await the protecting 
darkness of the coming night. At that time run- 
ning the blockade was not thought so easy a matter 
as it afterwards proved to be, and the anxiety of 
many of our passengers began to be gravely and, in 
some cases, ludicrously exhibited. The vigilant cap- 
tain did not leave the mast-head ; and whoever could 
procure a marine glass swept the line of sea and sky 
for hours together, looking out in every direction 
with the greatest solicitude for the dreaded sails of 
the Federal cruisers. I had myself got my arms 



8 OUR DANGER OFF CHARLESTON. 

ready, and gathered together such of my effects 
as I supposed I should need most in future cam- 
paigning, so that in case we should be chased and 
obliged to abandon the vessel I might be able to 
carry them with me in the small boat. But no 
cruiser appeared, all remained quiet, and about dusk 
the sky began to be darkened with heavy clouds, 
which were greeted by us with extreme satisfaction. 
There was a large quantity of powder on board the 
Kate, and this powder for some reason had been 
stored immediately beneath the decks : we had 
therefore an uncomfortably reasonable prospect of 
being blown into eternity by the first shell from the 
Federal fleet that should be only too well directed. 
The captain had informed us of this circumstance 
before he consented to receive us as passengers, but 
we willingly accepted the risk, " trusting to luck " as 
to the steamer and ourselves. At nightfall our 
engines were again set in motion; the clouds had 
overs23read the whole firmament ; only here and 
there a star twinkled through the black canopy ; and 
the sombre silence was unbroken save by the sound 
of the paddles striking against the water, and the 
whispers of our ship's company, who were all on 
deck peering out most anxiously into the surround- 
ing darkness. 

It w^as about an hour past midnight when, reach- 
ing the entrance of the harbour of Charleston, we 
discovered a red light on our right hand, a green 
light on our left hand, and seven or eight others of 
various colours at a little distance all around us. 
These were the Federal blockaders awaiting their 
prey, and right between them had we to pass. The 
excitement now mounted to its highest point. The 
reflection of the red light upon the water ran out 
tOAvards us like the coil of a fiery serpent, seeming 
to touch the wheelhouse, and to sport with the re- 
flection of the green light from the opposite quarter, 
and we expected every moment to hear the booming 



FIRST VIEW OF THE CITY. 9 

of the blockaders' guns ; but good fortune favoured 
us — the dreaded lights were soon glimmering in our 
wake — and from the frowning fortress of Sumter there 
thundered forth, as we interpreted it, a friendly salute 
that gladdened every heart. With no complimentary 
intentions, however, was this gun fired. We had 
been mistaken for an enemy, and had a narrow 
escape of being sent to the bottom by Confederate 
cannoneers, after having safely passed the perils of 
the blockade. But the good fortune of the Kate 
did not forsake her in this critical moment. Our 
engines were immediately stopped, a boat came off 
from the fort, explanations and congratulations were 
interchanged, after which we moved in perfect secu- 
rity up the harbour. Nature demanded rest after so 
much fatigue, sleeplessness, and excitement, and I 
was fast asleep when the Kate ran slowly into the 
dock. 

The early morning found me awake and looking 
with great interest upon the strange land where I 
knew not what the immediate future had in store for 
me. Charleston lay before me in the full splendour of 
the newly-risen sun, and presented — with its harbour 
full of vessels, its commodious villa-like private dwell- 
ings, its luxuriant gardens, its straight streets lined 
on either side by noble trees, its sparkling sea-front, 
against which the blue wave broke gently — a magnifi- 
cent appearance. As I walked into the town 1 could 
not fail to remark the absence of that bustle one 
usually finds in a large city. This was explained 
by the fact that an attack by the Federal fleet was 
daily expected, in consequence of which many places 
of business were closed, and many families had gone 
into the interior. But if the traffic of the town 
was suspended, the streets gave evidence every- 
where of great military activity. Companies of in- 
fantry in every variety of dress and armed with all 
sorts of weapons were marching about, and cavalry- 
men in the most picturesque costumes were galloping 



]0 AMEEICA2T EAILAVAYS. 

up and down on fine-looking liorses. Accustomed as 
I was to European discipline and uniform, I must 
confess that on me the first impression of these Con- 
federate soldiers was not favourable, and far was I 
from any idea how soon these same men would excite 
my highest admu-ation on the battle-field. But I 
had little opportunity for extended observation at 
Charleston. The train for Eichmond left the station 
about noon, and I was of its passengers, wondering 
at the odd-shaped, long lumbering railway carriage 
or " car," rolling, rapidly and dangerously, with 
more than fifty other occupants, towards the scene 
of military operations in Virginia. I need say 
nothing of the wretched railway system, or want 
of system, of America ; the single line of rails, the 
loosely -built road-bed, the frightful trestle-work 
over deep gorges, the frail wooden bridges thrown 
across rushing rivers, and the headlong speed at 
which the train is often urged on its perilous way. 
With every month of the war the railroads of the 
Southern States became worse and worse, until a 
long journey by rail — say from Montgomery to 
Richmond — was as hazardous as picket duty on the 
Potomac. But our journey to Richmond was safely 
and comfortably accomplished. Whizzing through 
the rice and cotton fields, the oozy swamps and dark 
pine-woods of the two Carolinas, we came at last to 
forests of oak and hickory, alternating with peaceful- 
looking farms and fertile estates in the fair land of 
the " Old Dominion ;" and, crossing the James river 
upon a bridge of giddy elevation, we entered within 
the walls of the Confederate capital. 

Richmond, the seat of government of Virginia, and, 
for four years, of the Confederate States, had at that 
time about 70,000 inhabitants. Unrivalled in America 
for the picturesque beauty of its situation on the north 
bank of the James river, it impressed the stranger 
most agreeably by its general air of comfort, cleanli- 
ness, and thrift. Opposite the upper portion of the 



FIRST IMPRESSIONS OF RICHMOND. 11 

city the river flows between lofty hills over a rocky 
bed, wliicli breaks it into innumerable cascades, 
murmuring in tlie stillness of tlie night a perpetual 
lullaby to the inhabitants. In the immediate centre 
of the town is a pretty little park, with several 
fine statues, some trumpery fountains, and a grove 0^^, 
of umbrageous lindens, surrounding the Capitol, a '^ 
large building of brick and stucco, erected in 1785, 
which looks noble in the distant view, but is mean 
and paltry upon near approach. The streets are 
long and straight, intersecting each other, with few 
exceptions, at right angles, and shaded through- 
out the larger part of the city's limits by native 
trees, the maple and tulip -poplar predominating. 
Pleasant dwellings, with porticoes and trellised ver- 
andahs, embowered in gardens, crowned the hills — 
dwellings that still remain to render more painful 
by contrast the ruin caused by the great conflagration 
which, three years later, laid the whole business 
quarter of the town in ashes. The external aspect 
of Eichmond, at the period of my first acquaintance 
with it, was indeed very striking. It was the season 
of roses, and Nature, unconscious of war, had arrayed 
herself in all her pomp to welcome the ardent and 
prodigal Southern summer. Nothing could seem more 
peaceful than Franklin Street at evening, with groups 
of ladies and officers in the porticoes enjoying the 
cool hours that succeeded to the fierce heats of the day. 
Nothing could more plainly denote the condition of 
war than the appearance of the principal thorough- 
fares and the highways leading into the country. 
The din of active preparation struck continuously 
upon the ear in the roar of the forge, and the clatter 
of the army-waggon, and the heavy tramp of armed 
men. Large bodies of troops were marching and 
countermarching through the streets, orderlies and 
couriers were galloping about in every direction, and 
the notes of the fife and drum had hardly died away 
• in the distance before the echoes were waked by the 



12 MY riEST DIFFICULTIES. 

stormier music of a full military band. The vast 
army of M'Clellan hovered upon the northern and 
eastern skirts of the city, and over the line of the 
Chickahominy, which might be faintly traced from 
the tops of the highest buildings, his camp-fires could 
even be seen by night, and his balloons of observa- 
tion, hanging like oranges in the sky, were clearly 
discernible in the afternoon. It was plain enough 
that an attack of the enemy in heavy force was ex- 
pected at any moment. Under such exciting circum- 
stances it was no less remarkable than gratifying to 
see how calmly and with what perfect confidence the 
people awaited the momentous events which were so 
near at hand. 

In the uncertain state of affairs at Eichmond, the 
prices of all articles in the shops augmented daily, 
but I converted my gold into Confederate money 
at a broker's at the liberal rate of two for one, and 
thought it a very clever financial operation. The 
difficulties I met with, however, in securing a posi- 
tion in the army were far greater than I had expected. 
The ashes of my letters of introduction were sus- 
pended in the restless waters of the Atlantic. The 
Government, I found, was disinclined to give com- 
missions to foreigners, all the officers of the Con- 
federate army at that time, except the general and 
staff' officers, being elected by the men ; and although 
Mr W., by repeated applications to the different 
authorities, had done all in his power to further my 
interests, he had met with no success whatever. At 
length, on the evening of his departure from the city, 
he informed me that he had seen the Secretary of 
War, General Eandolph, who had manifested much 
interest in my situation, and would grant me an 
interview at one o'clock the next day. At the ap- 
pointed hour I repaired to the War Department, and 
was received with great kindness by General Ean- 
dolph, a most intelligent and amiable gentleman, who, 
after I had endeavoured to explain to him :^y plans 



SEARCH FOR STUART. 13 

and wishes in execrable English, gave nae a letter to 
General J. E. B. Stuart, then commanding the cavalry 
of the army defending Eichmond, and, at the same 
time, an order to procure a horse at the Government 
stables, with the advice to lose not a moment if I de- 
sired to see something of the impending battles. The 
Government stables were fidl of good horses, and I 
had no difficulty in finding an excellent chestnut mare, 
which afterwards carried me nobly on many a hard 
ride. At the earliest dawn of morning, on the 30th, 
an orderly reported to me with the mare in front of 
my hotel, and I jumped into the saddle, well equipped 
from head to foot, full of strength and buoyant in 
spirits, to ride forward to the field. 

We trotted out of the city, and across the wooded 
plain through which runs the Brooke turnpike, pass- 
ing the extensive fortifications and the long lines of 
the Confederate army. With the liveliest interest I 
: looked upon these masses of warrior-like men, in 
their ill-assorted costumes, who had come with alacrity 
from the Carolinas, from distant Mississippi and yet 
more distant Texas, from sunny Florida, from fertile 
Georgia, from Alabama, land of mountain and cane- 
brake, from the regions of Louisiana, to imperil their 
I lives in the defence of their much-loved South, and 
for the expulsion of the invader from its borders. 
Brigade after brigade we saw awaiting the summons 
to the battle which was so soon to come. It was no 
easy matter to find General Stuart, who, as command- 
! ing officer of the outposts, was anywhere along the 
I extended lines, and the sun was near its setting when 
i we reached the camp of the 1st Virginia Cavalry. 
Here I presented myself for information to the officer 
' in command, Colonel Eitzhugh Lee, who assured me 
that it would be next to impossible to find General 
Stuart that night, and kindly offered me the hospi- 
tality of his tent. As threatening thunder-clouds 
were driving up the western horizon, and I was much 
fatigued by my day's ride, I gladly accepted the in- 



14 A CAMP BEEAKFAST. 

vitation. The camp was a novelty to me in the art 
of castrametation. The horses were not picketed in 
regular lines as in European armies, but were scat- 
tered about anywhere in the neighbouring wood, 
some tethered to swinging limbs, some tied to small 
trees, others again left to browse at will upon the 
undergrowth. In a very short time I was perfectly 
at home in the Colonel's tent, where the ofiicers of 
his regiment had assembled, and where the lively 
strains of the banjo alternated with patriotic songs 
and animated discourse. During the evening a sup- 
per was served which, under existing circumstances, 
was really luxurious, and one of the chief dishes 
of which consisted of the eggs of the terrapin found 
in a creek near the camp by Colonel Lee's faithful 
negro servant, who was at once head-cook, valet, 
and steward. I am sure that no work of art 
from the kitchen of the Cafe Eiche could have been 
more gratifying to my hungry appetite than these 
terrapin's eggs taken out of a Virginia swamp and 
cooked upon the instant in a cavalry encampment. 
Soon after supper we retired to rest, but little sleep 
came to my weary eyelids ; for a terrible hurricane, 
accompanied by thunder and lightning, raged through- 
out the night, the peals of thunder shaking the earth, 
and the flashes of lightning almost blinding one with 
their incessant vivid glare. I was awake and fully 
dressed the next morning when, with the first glimpse 
of the sun breaking through the battered clouds, 
the trumpet sounded to saddle, and Colonel Lee 
informed me he had just received marching orders, i 
He added that he should start in fifteen minutes, i 
and my best chance of meeting General Stuart was 
to ride with the regiment. It was marvellous to 
see how readily these unmilitary -looking troopers 
obeyed the orders of their colonel, and with what 
discipline and rapidity the breaking up of the camp 
was managed. I suffered the whole regiment, 800 
strong, to pass me, that I might observe more nar- 



GENERAL J. E. B. STUAKT. 15 

rowly its composition. The scrutiny called forth my 
admiration. The men were all Virginians, whose easy 
and graceful seat betrayed the constant habit of horse- 
back exercise, and they were mounted mostly on 
blooded animals, some of which the most ambitious 
Guardsman or the most particular " swell " in London 
would have been glad to show off in Hyde Park. 
Looking back across three eventful years to that 
morning's march, I realise how little it was in my 
thought that my lot should be knit so closely with 
that of these brave fellows in fatigue and in fight, 
and that I should have to mourn the loss of, alas 1 
so many who afterwards fell around me in battle. 
After a ride of three hours, passing directly through 
Eichmond to the opposite side of the city, we reached 
our destination, and Colonel Lee pointed out to me a 
man, galloping rapidly along on an active, handsome 
horse. This was Stuart, the man whose arrival I 
awaited so anxiously, and who subsequently became 
one of the truest and best friends I have had in this 
world. 

General Stuart was a stoutly -built man, rather 
above the middle height, of a most frank and winning 
expression, the lower part of his fine face covered 
with a thick brown beard, which flowed over his 
breast. His eye was quick and piercing, of a 
light blue in repose, but changing to a darker tinge 
under high excitement. His whole person seemed 
instinct with vitality, his movements were alert, his 
observation keen and rapid, and altogether he was to 
me the model of a dashing cavalry leader. Before 
the breaking out of hostilities between the North 
and South, he had served in the 1st United States 
Cavalry, of which regiment General Joseph E. John- 
ston was the Lieut-Colonel, against the Indians of 
the Far West, and was severely wounded in an en- 
counter with the Cheyennes on the Solomon's Fork 
of the Kansas river, in July 1857. fn that wild life 
of the prairie, now chasing the buffalo, now pursuing 



16 HIS PERSONAL APPEARANCE. 

the treacherous savage, Stuarl had passed nearly all his 
waking hours in the saddle, and thus became one of 
the most fearless and dexterous horsemen in America, 
and he had acquired a love of adventure which made 
activity a necessity of his being. He delighted in the 
neighing of the charger and the clangour of the bugle, 
and he had something of Murat's weakness for the 
vanities of military parade. He betrayed this latter 
quality in his jaunty uniform, which consisted of a 
smallgrey jacket, trousers of the same stuff, and over 
them high military boots, a yellow silk sash, and a 
grey slouch hat, surmounted by a sweeping black 
ostrich plume. Thus attired, sitting gTacefully on 
his fine horse, he did not fail to attract the notice 
and admiration of all who saw him ride along. This 
is not the place to expatiate on the military charac- 
ter of General Stuart. His deeds will form the most 
considerable portion of this narrative, and out of them 
an estimate of his soldierly qualities will naturally 
grow up in the reader's mind. 

At the moment of our first meeting we could 
exchange but a few words. The battle was just about 
to commence, and my presentation to him was neces- 
sarily hurried and informal. After reading General 
Eandolph's letter, he said he should be glad to have 
me at his side during the day's fight, and then pre- 
sented me to a number of well-mounted young officers, 
members of his Staff, and to General Longstreet and 
his suite. At this instant the roar of the artillery 
gave the signal that the " ball had opened," and the 
whole cavalcade, the generals leading, proceeded in 
rapid gallop to the front. 



OPENING OF THE BATTLE. 17 



CHAPTEE 11. 

THE BATTLE OF SEVEN PINES — THE PAMUNKEY 
EXPEDITION. 

Slst May 1862. — This sanguinary fight owes its 
strange name to seven solitary pine-trees, standing 
just at the place where death raged most terribly, 
and where the battle was decided in favour of our 
arms. About 30,000 men were engaged on our side, 
whilst the enemy brought about 45,000 into the iield. 
The ground was very unfavourable for operations on 
either side — a broad wooded flat, intersected with 
morasses and open spaces ; and the roads were bad 
and marshy beyond description, owing to the late 
violent rains. 

I do not propose giving a general description of 
the engagement, but shall confine myself to my per- 
sonal experiences and impressions, for having no mili- 
tary position as yet, and only taking part in it as a 
deeply interested spectator, I had no insight into the 
plan of the commanding general. 

As General Stuart's cavalry could be of little ser- 
vice in the fight, he had been ordered to place it in 
reserve at the centre, and on the right and left 
flanks; but he himself was as usual in the thickest 
of the fray, giving assistance, counsel, and encourage- 
ment to the rest, and letting nothing escape his ob- 
servation. 

General Longstreet commanded the right wing, 
and had taken up position on a hill commanding an 
extended view. 

The battle was beginning: along the whole line 
rang the sharp irregular fire of the skirmishers, only 
now and then broken by the thunder of one of the 
numerous batteries ; soon, however, the cannonade 
became general, and the rattle of small arms preced- 

B 



18 VICTORY OF THE CONFEDERATES. 

ing the boom of the heavy guns sounded like the 
sharp explosive crackle one hears before the deeper 
rumbling of the thunder. 

It was at this moment that General Stuart sent me 
with the first order to Colonel Lee. To reach him I 
had to ride more to the front, and to cross a morass, 
where some horses belonging to the ambulances were 
standing. Just as I rode past I heard a loud whiz 
in the air, and saw one of the horses struck down, 
and at the same moment was almost deafened by an 
explosion, which covered me with mud and w^ater. 
This was the first shell that had burst so close to 
me, and a strange feeling came over me at the 
thought of having been so near death. It was not 
fear, but a vivid realisation of the pitiless power of 
destruction which is let loose in war. I discharged 
my commission without farther adventure, and re- 
turned to the Generals. 

The battle had meanwhile been turning in our 
favour ; our troops were slowly pressing back the 
whole Federal line; only in the centre of our right 
wing a North Carolina brigade had begun to give way 
a little before the superior strength of the enemy. 
Instantly General Stuart was at the spot, encourag- 
ing the "troops to hold the position until our rein- 
forcements could arrive. I followed him into the 
hail of bullets, of whizzing grape and bursting bombs, 
one of which rolled between my horse's legs. 

Our men had now expended almost all their am- 
munition, and were falling back, when General 
Stuart, here with threats, there with eloquent en- 
treaties, rallied them, and brought them forward 
again into the battle to check the enemy as they 
pressed hard upon us. 

A Virginia brigade soon came up as reinforcement. 
With banners flying, and loud war-cries, they threw 
themselves unhesitatingly on the foe, driving them 
before them, and taking their earthworks, which 
bristled with cannon. 



PAINFUL SCENES. 21 

The setting sun lighted up witli crimson spithe 
dour a broad and bloody battle-field, strewn witn 
the dead and wounded of the enemy, and as many 
brave Confederate soldiers. Numerous prisoners 
were being brought up from all sides, whom every 
man and officer not absolutely required to fill the 
thinning ranks was employed to convey away. Thus 
I was commissioned by the General to conduct eight 
soldiers, and a Lieutenant-Colonel who had been 
wounded in the neck, to join the other prisoners 
already on their way, by hundreds, to Eichmond. 
These men had been captured by General Stuart and 
myself in the melee that succeeded the impetuous 
onset of the Virginians. Terrible was it to see 
on every side the wounded returning from the 
battle : here a man with his head bleeding, there 
another with shattered arm or leg, reddening the 
path with his blood ; then the more severely wound- 
ed in the ambulances, groaning and wailing in a 
manner that made my heart shrink. I was then 
little accustomed to scenes like this. 

In this battle, though it could not be called a gene- 
ral one, and though its consequences were of no great 
importance, the victory, though costly, was complete. 
Thousands of our brave soldiers were killed or wound- 
ed, and amongst them several generals, one being 
Johnston the General-in-chief who, just at the close 
of the fight, was wounded in the shoulder by a ball. 

General Stuart remained on the battle-field till late 
at night, and we galloped off together after the last 
cannon-shots had died away. The ride to head- 
quarters was a dreadful one : hundreds of convey- 
ances, some taking the wounded to Eichmond, some 
coming out from the city with provisions for the 
troops, were crossing each other in the almost im- 
passable turnpike, and the groans and cries of the 
wounded were mingled with the curses and shouts 
of drivers, whose vehicles obstructed the way with 
broken wheels or exhausted horses. 



18 



VISIT TO THE BATTLE-FIELD. 



iiig^Aany of the inhabitants of Eichmond had sent 
sjlieir carriages, and the hotels their omnibuses, to 
bring off the wounded : the greater number of these 
slightly-built equipages lay broken in the road, and 
would never again be available for any purpose 
whatever. 

General Stuart's headquarters were at a farmhouse 
named Montebello, which was situated on a hill near 
Eichmond, and from which we had a splendid view 
of the town, the river, and the environs. To this 
house we galloped for a short night's rest. Here 
General Stuart thanked me with only too much 
warmth for the small services I Had rendered during 
the battle, and said that lie would have much pleasure 
in placing me on his Staff' as a volunteer aide -de- 
camp. 

Sunday, '[st June. — We returned very early the 
next morning to the battle-field, where there seemed 
to be a renewal of the fight ; faint musketry fire was 
audible, and the thunder of cannon roared through 
the morning air. 

Not without risk did we reach the field, so rotten 
was the way and so full of holes, often from four 
to five feet in depth, and filled with water, so that 
one could not ride a hundred yards without one's 
horse slipping and falling. Hundreds of waggons 
were stuck fast in the road, many of them upset, 
with the horses lying drowned in front of them, 
and several still filled with wounded men groaning 
piteously. 

After a considerable time we reached the scene 
of the previous day's victory. Never shall I forget 
the impression made upon me by this first sight of 
death and devastation to which I afterwards became 
so well accustomed. 

The most horrible spectacle was that presented 
near the bastions and earthworks which the day 
before had been stormed by our men. Friend and 
foe were lying here indiscriminately side by side, 



A DANGEROUS EIDE. 21 

mown down in multitudes by musketry and by the 
guns which we had afterwards taken. The enemy's 
artillery had here lost all their horses, which lay by 
dozens, piled one upon another, and all around the 
ground was strewn with weapons, haversacks, car- 
tridge-boxes, ammunition, &;c. These articles, aban- 
doned by the enemy, were used by us most profitably 
for the better equipment of our own troops. 

A South Carolina brigade had taken up its position 
in the intrenchments near us, and the men lay be- 
hind the breastwork full of confidence and good- 
humour, quite unmindful of the heaps of slain, and 
breakfasting on the enemy's provisions, which had 
been left behind in great quantities. 

General Stuart had scarcely ridden with us into 
the intrenchments, when a cannon-ball hissed over 
our heads and tore up the earth about fifty yards 
behind us. Other shots followed in rapid succession, 
and each time the balls came nearer and nearer to 
our little group. General Stuart, paying no attention 
to the cannonade, remained until he had completed 
his observations of this portion of the field, and then 
desired me to ride with him to our extreme right. 
We had to cross an open field, and as soon as we had 
reached it the firing began anew. Nearer and nearer 
to us fell the shells, exploding with a deafening re- 
port and covering us with earth. We were evidently 
a mark for the fire of a whole battery, and even 
General Stuart, who till now had tranquilly pursued 
his way, turned round in surprise when the fragments 
of an exploded grenade flew hissing between us,-and 
said, " Lieutenant, they are firing at us here ; let us 
ride a little faster ! " 

We had still about three hundred paces to go 
before a friendly grove would hide us from the enemy, 
but this short distance seemed to me like so many 
miles, and was one of the hottest rides I ever had in 
my life. The Federals divined our intention only too 
well, and overwhelmed us with the fire of a whole 



22 GENEEAL LONGSTEEET. 

battery, so tliat it is almost a miracle that the Gene- 
ral and I escaped uninjured. 

As we afterwards learned, the Yankees had station- 
ed a scout at the top of a lofty pine-tree, who, when 
he saw the General, gave the artillery the first direc- 
tion : he paid for it with his life, for one of our sharp- 
shooters detected him, and by a well-directed bullet 
brought him down. 

The battle was not renewed ; the firing grew 
fainter and fainter, until towards one o'clock it ceased 
almost entirely. About this time we returned to the 
spot where General Longstreet had taken his position 
the day before, and where several of our generals were 
assembled, to w^hom I was presented by General 
Stuart. President Davis soon came up, congratulat- 
ing the Generals, and expressing his great satisfaction 
at the issue of the day. 

I had now the opportunity of closely observing 
General Longstreet for the first time. He was a stout 
man, of middle height, and most agreeable counte- 
nance ; his long brown beard gave something leonine 
to his appearance ; an engaging simplicity was his 
prevailing characteristic, manifested not less in his 
manners than in his dress. It consisted, like that 
of most of the leading generals of the Confede- 
rate army, of a small black felt hat, a tunic-like 
grey coat, much faded, on the collar and sleeves of 
which the devices indicating his rank were scarcely 
distinguishable, a pair of grey trousers, and military 
boots with Mexican spurs; a small sword was his 
only weapon. His steady courage — displayed rather 
by perfect composure under fire, and serene indif- 
erence to the extremest peril, than, like that of 
Stuart, in fiery charges and daring enterprise — his 
constant energy in- the campaign and obstinacy 
in the fight, and his strict obedience to orders, 
made him one of the most useful, as he was always 
among the most conspicuous, officers in the Confed- 
erate service. By these he gained the full con- 



PRESIDENT DAVIS. 23 

fidence of the army and its commanding general, 
Eobert E. Lee, who used to call him his war-horse. 
Longstreet's soldiers were perfectly devoted to him, 
and I have frequently heard friendly contentions 
between officers and men of his corps, and those of 
Stonewall Jackson's, as to which of the two was the 
most meritorious and valuable officer. 

President Jefferson Davis is a tall thin man, with 
sharply-defined features, an air of easy command, and 
frank, unaffected, gentlemanlike manners. I had the 
honour of being presented to him, and was struck 
with the simple friendly tone in which he conversed 
with me. He examined with great interest an ex- 
cellent Damascus blade, an old and tried friend of 
mine, and said he was very glad to know that he 
had so good a sword and so strong an arm to wield it 
in his army. 

The next day did not pass without excitement. 
A renewed attack from the enemy was expected, and 
our troops were kept for the greater part of the day 
under arms. Erom time to time a single report of 
cannon was heard, generally fired from our side at the 
air-balloon which the Yankees had sent up for recon- 
noitring. General Stuart, who commanded our out- 
posts, was constantly in motion, and we were seldom 
out of the saddle. Our rendezvous and momentary 
halting-place was near a small farmhouse standing 
peacefully among hickory and oak trees. Turned 
into an hospital, the ghastly features and mutilated 
limbs of the wounded men stretched upon their beds 
of pain within the building, formed a dreadful con- 
trast to the cheerful exterior. 

On the 5th everything was quiet again. On the 
6th General Stuart changed his headquarters, and we 
removed with bag and baggage to a farmhouse about 
four miles distant, inhabited only by an old man 
named Waddle. This place, standing at some dis- 
tance from the highroad, was surrounded by copses 
and thickets, and afforded us a capital opportunity of 



24 A DANGEROUS EXPEDITION. 

recovering from our fatigues. "We had to provide our 
own food, which, in consequence of the prevailing 
scarcity, was scanty and bad ; a little bacon and 
maize-bread composed our breakfast, dinner, and sup- 
per, and we thought it an extraordinary luxury when 
we could gather wild strawberries enough in the w^ood 
to make a dish to add to our repast. 

General Stuart, though he sometimes employed me 
to carry reports to the different generals, usually took 
me with him on his short reconnoitring rides, in order 
to make me acquainted with, the surrounding country, 
the position of the army, and the commanders of the 
divisions and brigades. 

Towards dusk on the 8th we set out on one of these 
expeditions, escorted by half-a-dozen of our couriers, 
and I soon perceived that our ride was to be extended 
to a greater distance than usual. It was late in the 
evening when we reached the last of our outposts, and 
I was not a little surj^rised when the Cleneral here 
dismissed his escort, and desired me alone to accom- 
pany him farther. Silently we rode through the 
lonely wood, whilst the darkness grew deeper and 
deeper around us, and the stillness of the forest was 
only broken by the strange tones of the tree-frog and 
the melancholy cry of the whip-poor-w^ill. 

We soon found ourselves within the enemy's lines ; 
at any moment we might stumble upon one of their 
patrols ; and General Stuart smiled significantly when 
he saw me examining the loads of my revolver, and 
observed that we would not employ firearms except 
in the last resort, and that in case of an encounter we 
must make use of our sabres. This ride was strangely 
exciting to me ; now that I have become so accus- 
tomed to such expeditions, I could go through it with 
the most perfect composure, but then I was feverishly 
agitated, and every rustling bough, every bird flying 
past, increased the strain. 

After a ride of about five miles we reached a small 
house, and on General Stuart's knocking at the door 



OUR SAFE RETUEN. 25 

in a peculiar manner it was opened to us. The house 
was inhabited by an Irishman and his family ; and 
here General Stuart had appointed a rendezvous 
with one of the spies, in order to obtain an authentic 
report of the enemy's position. This man had not 
arrived, so we fastened our horses to the fence and 
went into the house. Hour after hour went by, but 
still no one came, and it was past midnight when 
General Stuart became convinced that some unlooked- 
for hindrance must be detaining him. No persua- 
sion nor promises of money, not even my offer to 
accompany him, could induce the old Irishman or 
his son, a lad of seventeen, to walk over to the spy's 
abode, which was about two miles distant, and near 
one of the enemy's camps. So the General and I 
were obliged ourselves to undertake this dano^erous 
expedition, and with the first glimmer of daylight 
we mounted our horses and cautiously set off. The 
peculiar repugnance of the Yankees to patrolling at 
night and the heavy rain favouring our enterprise 
we arrived without misadventure at the man's dwell- 
ing just as the reveille was sounding in the camp 
only 400 paces distant. The spy being very ill in 
bed. General Stuart had to dismount and go to his 
bedside ; and when the General, extremely well satis- 
fied with the information he had obtained, swung 
himself into the saddle, and we galloped back, it 
was with a great sense of relief we approached our 
lines, where we were greeted with delight by our 
men, who had begun to entertain considerable 
anxiety on our account. 

Such rides and expeditions were habitual with this 
bold General, and we often escaped as by a miracle 
from the dangers which surrounded us. It was only 
by this exposure of himself that he could insure the 
extraordinary success which invariably crowned his 
expeditions and military operations. 

The object of this excursion soon appeared. Our 
cavalry force received orders to provide themselves 



/ 
,/ 



26 FIRST ENCOUNTERS WITH THE ENEMY. 

with rations for three days, and on the 12th we com- 
menced that ride round the army of General M'Clel- 
lan which attracted so much attention even in 
Europe. 

June 12, 1862. — It was two o'clock in the morn- 
ing, and we were all fast asleep, when General 
Stuart's clear voice awoke us with the words, 
" Gentlemen, in ten minutes every man must be 
in his saddle ! " 

In half the time all the members of the Staff were 
dressed, and the horses had been fed; and the ten 
minutes were scarcely up when we galloped off to 
overtake the main body, which we reached by about 
five o'clock. Our command was composed of parts 
of the different regiments of the brigade, and con- 
sisted of about 2500 cavalry, with two pieces of 
horse- artillery. None of us knew where we were 
going ; General Stuart only communicated the object 
of the expedition to the colonels commanding ; never- 
theless every one followed our honoured leader with 
perfect confidence. We marched the whole day long 
without halting, and towards evening bivouacked 
near the little town of Taylorsville in Hanover 
County, where we were already within the enemy's 
lines. At daybreak we again mounted our horses, 
and our vanguard was soon reported to have met 
with a party of the enemy's dragoons, who on their 
approach had hurried off in hasty flight. Without 
waiting to pursue them, we continued our march, 
greeted everywhere with enthusiasm by the inhabit- 
ants, especially by the ladies, who for a long time 
had seen none other than Federal troops. I was in 
company with Stuart the whole time, constantly near 
the vanguard, and could note that every operation 
was initiated and superintended by the General him- 
self. A few miles from Hanover Court-house we 
surprised a picket of the enemy's cavalry, every man 
of which fell into our hands from the suddenness of 
our attack. Whilst we were occupied with sending 



THE YANKEES AGAIN DEFEATED. 27 

tlie prisoners to the rear, our advance-guard came 
back at a run, liotly pursued by a large body of the 
enemy's dragoons. Our leading squadron spurred 
immediately forward to meet the attack, and, hav- 
ing obtained General Stuart's permission, I joined 
them as virith loud war-cries they hurled them- 
selves against the blue masses of the enemy. The 
Yankees were not able to withstand the impetu- 
ous onset of the Virginia horsemen, and, after a 
melee of a very few minutes, there commenced 
a most exciting chase, which was continued for 
nearly three miles. Friend and foe were soon en- 
veloped in blinding clouds of dust, through which 
pistol and carbine shots were seen darting to and fro 
like flashes of lightning. The larger number of the 
enemy escaped, thanks to their fresher animals, but 
w^e took many of them prisoners, and their dead and 
wounded men and horses encumbered the road as we 
pushed along. Half an hour later our advance-guard 
again came in collision with the enemy, who had 
rallied, and, with strong reinforcements, were await- 
ing us. Two squadrons of the 9th Virginia Cavalry 
were immediately sent forward to the attack, and I 
received orders from General Stuart to hasten with 
our main column to the scene of action. I rode at 
once to bring on the main column ; but though I 
used the utmost speed to get back in time to take 
part in the charge, when I arrived at the scene of 
the sharp conflict the work had already been done. 
The enemy's lines were broken and in full flight, 
leaving many of theii' dead and wounded, and a large 
number of prisoners, among whom were several 
officers, in our hands. We had to lament the loss of 
the gallant Captain Latane, who, while boldly lead- 
ing his men, fell pierced by five bullets. In a few 
seconds the 1st Virginia Cavalry had arrived, and we 
instantly dashed forward in pursuit. 

The enemy made one more attempt to rally, but 
their lines were broken by our furious attack ; they 



28 DESTRUCTION OF STOEES. 

fled in confusion, and we chased them in wild pursuit 
across an open field, through their camp, and far into 
the woods. When we had returned to their camp 
the work of destruction began. Every one tried to 
rescue for himself as much as possible of the articles 
of luxury with which the Yankees had overloaded 
themselves, but few succeeded in the end ; for, in 
accordance with the well-laid plan of our leader, 
flames flashed up, now in one place, now in another, 
and in a few minutes the whole camp was enveloped 
in one blaze, hundreds of tents burning together 
presenting a wonderfully beautiful spectacle. Many 
horses and mules, and two captured standards, were 
all that we carried off with us. After half an hour's 
halt our destroying cavalry again set forth ; our track 
of blood and fire pointing out to the enemy the path 
which we had taken. 

We now found ourselves in the heart of the 
enemy's position, and their encampments lay around 
us on all sides. At one point of our journey, the 
house occupied by the Federal Commander-in-Chief, 
General M'Clellan, as his headquarters, surrounded 
by the white tents of a very large camp, was 
plainly visible at the distance of about two and a 
half miles. Our situation would have been one of 
extraordinary peril, had not the boldness and ra- 
pidity of our movements disabled and paralysed our 
adversaries. 

On either side of the road we constantly seized 
upon unsuspecting Federal soldiers, who had no idea 
of the close proximity of the dreaded Stuart until 
collared by his horsemen. A considerable number 
of waggons laden with provisions and goods fell into 
our hands, among them one containing the personal 
stores of General M'Clellan, with his cigars, wines, 
and other dainties. But we could not be burdened 
with booty, so the entire train was committed to the 
flames, the champagne popped bootlessly, and the 
cabanas wasted their fragrance on the air. Three 



CONFLICT WITH A EAILWAY TRAIN. 29 

transport-ships which lay in the river Pamunkey 
near at hand, laden with wheat, corn, and provisions 
from all quarters, were seized by ns, together with 
the guard and the agents stationed there, and ere 
long the flames mounting towards heaven proclaimed 
how complete was our work of destruction. A 
brigade of the enemy's cavalry here sought to in- 
tercept our way and to detain us till the troops, 
which were marching upon us from all sides, could 
arrive; but it was broken by our first attack, and 
crossed our path no more. 

Thus towards evening we reached the railroad 
which was so useful to the enemy in giving them 
communication with the north ; and just as the de- 
molition of the road-bed was about to begin, the train 
was seen coming up. Without delay General Stuart 
posted a portion of his men on either side of the em- 
bankment, with orders to fire if the train refused to 
stop at the station. The train moved slowly nearer 
and nearer, pufiing off the steam, and we could soon 
perceive that it was laden with soldiers, most of them 
being in open carriages. As the command to stop 
was disregarded, but on the contrar}^ the movement 
of the train was accelerated, firing began along our 
whole line. The engine-driver was shot down by 
Captain Farley, to whom I had lent my blunderbuss ; 
but before the deadly bullet reached him he had put 
the train in somewhat quicker motion, so that we 
could not make ourselves masters of it. 

A battle of the strangest description now arose. 
Some of the soldiers in the train returned our fire, 
others sprang out to save themselves by flight, or lay 
down flat at the bottom of the carriages. The train, 
though its motion had been quickened, was not going 
at so rapid a pace that we could not keep up with it 
by galloping hard. Meantime, having had my hat 
almost knocked off my head by one of the enemy's 
bullets, I became so wildly excited that, without heed- 
ing our own fire, I spurred my horse over the em- 



30 A WELCOME DRAUGHT. 

bankment, and very soon had discharged all the five 
charges of my revolver at the foe. We heard later 
that few of the occupants of the train had escaped 
unliurt ; the greater part were eitlier killed or 
severely wounded. I reproached myself afterwards 
with having so given the reins to my passion ; but 
after all I only acted in obedience to orders and tlie 
requirements of war. After having done as much 
injury as we could to the railroad, we proceeded on 
our march, whilst the last beams of the sun lighted 
up the scene of destruction. 

It had been a hard ride and a hard day's work, 
and my parched tongue was cleaving to the roof of 
my mouth, when one of our men galloped up to me, 
and held out a bottle of champagne, saying, " Cap- 
tain, you did pretty hot work to-day. I got this 
bottle of champagne for you out of M'Clellan's wag- 
gon. It will do you good." Never in my life have 
I enjoyed a bottle of wine so much. Late in the 
evening a baggage -train and two sutler's waggons 
fell into our hands, and we took possession of a large 
quantity of luxuries, such as pickles, oysters, pre- 
served fruits, oranges, lemons, and cigars. 

About ten o'clock we had an hom-'s rest to feed 
our horses, and then rode on all the night through 
towards the Chickahominy Eiver, which we reached 
at five o'clock in the morning. From the reports we 
had received we expected to find little difficulty in 
fording the stream, but who can describe our as- 
tonishment at finding it so swollen by the rain which 
had fallen in the mountains during the past twenty- 
four hours that the water was more than fifteen feet 
deep ! At the same time our rear-guard announced 
that a whole division of the enemy was on our 
track. Every one felt the weight of the' danger 
that threatened us, every one looked with anxiety 
towards our leader, who, with the greatest pos- 
sible calmness and coolness, gave his orders and 
made his arrangements. Two regiments and two 



PASSAGE OF THE CHICKAHOMINY. 31 

pieces of horse-artillery were ordered, in case of an 
attack, to cover our retreat ; whilst all the other 
available men were dismounted, some of them being 
employed to build bridges, the others to swim the 
river with the horses. A bridge for foot-passengers 
was hastily constructed across the stream, which was 
about ninety feet in breadth, and the saddles, &c., 
were carried over it. All the swimmers took the 
unsaddled horses through the river, some riding 
them, others swimming by their side, with one hand 
holding the mane and the other directing the horse. 
This last expedient I thought the best, and in this 
manner I took sixty-five horses myself through the 
angry torrent. After about four hours' work a second 
bridge for the artillery was completed, and more than 
half the horses had reached the other side of the 
river ; also the prisoners, about five hundred in 
number, and hundreds of captured horses and mules. 
The first cannon was drawn by the soldiers across 
the bridge, which, standing the test well, the second 
soon followed, and then the reserve regiments. To- 
wards noon all were in safety on the other bank, 
General Stuart being the last man to cross the 
bridge, which we then destroyed. Hitherto I had 
had no sensation of fatigue, but after this hard 
work in the water I felt it severely in all my 
limbs, and we had still to march the remainder 
of the day and all the night before we could 
rest in security. Both horses and men performed 
wonders during this expedition. We were in the 
saddle almost uninterruptedly for two days and two 
nights, fighting for a considerable part of the time, 
and for ten miles working our way through the 
swamps of the Chickahominy, which had been 
hitherto considered impassable. 

On the morning of the loth we arrived safely 
within our lines, and bivouacked about six miles 
from Eichmond. As soon as I had attended to my 
horse, who had carried me nobly through the severe 



32 RESULTS OF THE EXPEDITION. 

fatigue, I fell fast asleep, and so continued during 
the whole day and night. We had been wonderfully 
successful in our expedition, having made a wide 
circuit through the enemy's immense army, and 
thoroughly acquainted ourselves with its position, 
which had been our chief object. At the same 
time, we had destroyed the enemy's communication, 
burned property to the amount of millions, cap- 
tured hundreds of prisoners, horses, and mules, and 
put the whole Federal army in fear and consternation. 
We were warmly greeted everywhere on our re- 
turn, and every sort of honour was paid to General 
Stuart's name. This ovation was extended to officers 
and men, and wherever any one who had taken part 
in this famous expedition was seen, he was besieged 
with questions, gazed at as a hero, and entreated to 
relate his own adventures and the story of the ride. 

The Eichmond press teemed with praises of Gene- 
ral Stuart and his followers, and even the journals of 
New York did not fail to render homage to the con- 
ception and execution of this bold enterprise. 

I had been very fortunate during the expedition in 
rendering services of various kinds to General Stuart, 
which obtained his cordial recognition in the Official 
Eeport, and in this manner secured for me at once a 
position in the Confederate army.* 

A quiet time now followed at headquarters. Both 
horses and men needed rest after exertions so long 
continued and fatiguing. The weather was glorious, 
and all nature had put on the full beauty of spring. 
Ai'ound the house which we inhabited white and red 



* I trust I may be pardoned for introducing here that passage 
in the E.eport which refers to the part I took in the expedition. 
General Stuart says : — 

" Amongst those who rendered eflScient services in this expedi- 
tion 1 cannot forget to mention Heros Von Borcke, formerly of 
the Prussian Brandenburg Dragoons, who distinguished himself 
by his gallantry, and won the admiration of all who witnessed his 
bravery and his military conduct during the expedition. He 
highly deserves promotion." 



GENERAL STUART S FAMILY. 33 

roses bloomed in sweet profusion, covering and climb- 
ing over the walls, and the wild honeysuckle added 
its fragrance to that of hundreds of magnolias blos- 
soming in the neighbouring swamp. In the fierce 
heats of June no refreshment could be more delicious 
than that afforded by the shade and perfume that 
dwelt along the cool densely-wooded morass, as, in 
our rides about the camp, we frequently crossed the 
small tributary rivulets, and let our horses drink of 
the dark, clear water flowing over the pebbly bottom. 
My relations with General Stuart had now become 
of a most friendly and intimate character. The 
greater part of my time was spent in his company. 
In this manner I became acquainted with his amiable 
and accomplished young wife, and his two bright- 
eyed little children, Flora and Jemmy, five and three 
years of age respectively, whose tender affections I 
was not long in securing. Mrs Stuart, during a con- 
siderable period of the war, lived from time to time 
at her husband's headquarters, *as they might be 
established at a point more or less safe and access- 
ible ; and I do not remember that I have ever seen a 
more interesting family circle than they presented, 
when, after a long ride or hazardous reconnaissance. 
General Stuart would seem to forget, for a brief 
interval, the dangers and duties of his exciting life 
in the enjoyment of his domestic happiness. The 
bold rider and dashing swordsman playing with his 
children, or listening to his wife as she sang him 
a ballad, was a picture the soft lights of which were 
in efl'ective and pleasing contrast with the Eembrandt 
shadows of the dark wood and the rude warriors that 
lay there. General Stuart had married a daughter of 
Colonel Philip St George Cooke, of the U.S. Dragoons, 
a Virginian by birth, and West-Pointer by military 
education, who had remained in the Federal service, 
and was now making war upon his native State as a 
brigadier-general of President Lincoln's appointment. 
On several occasions, during the campaigns in Virgi- 

c 



34 RECEIVE MY FIEST COMMISSION. 

nia, General Stuart came very near making a prisoner 
of his fatlier-in-law ; and I believe it would have- 
given him greater satisfaction to send General Cooke 
under escort to Eichmond than to capture the mighty* 
M'Clellan himself. 

The military family of General Stuart consisted of 
fourteen or fifteen high-spirited young fellows, boon 
companions in the bivouac, and excellent soldiers in 
the fight, of whom, alas ! seven were afterwards killed 
in battle, three received honourable and dangerous 
wounds, the effects of which will follow them through 
life, and two were carried off by the enemy to 
languish in loathsome ISTorthern prisons. It was, 
indeed, a hazardous service upon which we had 
entered ; but little disturbed were we by a thought 
of the peril, or if such a thought ever intruded upon 
us, it was only to unite together in closer friendship 
the sharers of a common destiny. 

On the morning of the 20tli June, General Stuart, 
with a significant gmile, gave me his official report of 
the Pamunkey expedition to carry to the Secretary of 
War, General Eandolph. I soon perceived the mean- 
ing of this smile when the commission of captain in 
the Confederate Cavalry was delivered to me by the 
Secretary, with the most flattering expressions re- 
specting my conduct. Full of gratitude, I returned 
to headquarters with a sense of hearty satisfaction 
such as I had not known for a long time. We were 
not, however, to rest many days at headquarters on 
the laurels of the Pamunkey expedition. During the 
night of the 25th there came again to us marching 
orders : before midnight all were in readiness ; but 
as there was no moon, the darkness detained us 
till the morning, when the rising sun found us in 
the saddle, fresh and eager for the performance 
of whatever duties the day might impose. Events 
of the greatest military significance were on the wing 
— events on which the eyes of the world were to be 
fixed, and by which the genius of more than one 



THE BATTLE OF MECHANICSVILLE. 35 

commander was to be determined — events whose 
place in history will for ever remain undisturbed by 
the unhappy issue of the American War. 



CHAPTER III 

THE BATTLE OP MECHANICSVILLE — THE BATTLE OF COAL 
HARBOUR OR GAINES' MILL — RIDE OVER THE BATTLE- 
FIELD — SUCCESS AT THE WHITE HOUSE — REFLECTIONS ON 
THE BATTLES BEFORE RICHMOND. 

The real importance of the Pamunkey expedition, in 
giving General Lee a perfect insight into the position 
of the army of M'Clellan, now manifested itself in 
the most brilliant light. As the Federal Com- 
mander-in-Chief had fortified himself most strongly 
on his right wing, which rested on the small village 
of Mechanicsville, five miles north-east of Richmond, 
General Jackson had been ordered with his army 
from the valley of the Shenandoah, numbering be- 
tween 25,000 and 30,000 men, to fall upon the 
enemy's right flank, and, turning it, to give Lee the 
opportunity for a general attack. General Thomas 
Jonathan Jackson, known alike to friends and foes 
as " Stonewall," from the steadiness and rock-like 
firmness of front which his command always pre- 
sented to the enemy, had come up by rapid marches, 
without the enemy's knowledge, to execute this 
order. General Stuart's cavalry command and one 
division of infantry were sent to strengthen him, and 
this was the beginning of the sanguinary and to us 
successful seven days' fighting before Richmond. 

During the night of the 26tli we arrived at the 
camps of Jackson's famous soldiers, which had been 
pitched near Ashland, a station on the Richmond 



36 COMMENCEMENT OF THE BATTLE. 

and Fredericksburg Eailroad, and were greeted by 
them with loud cheers. After a short period of 
repose we were again in the saddle. General Stuart 
had received directions from General Jackson to 
cover his left flank, so we marched with great 
caution, sending out numerous patrols and recon- 
noitring detachments. Our march was directed 
towards Mechanicsville, where the enemy's right 
wing rested, as I have said, on strong fortifications. 
With the exception of encounters with small patrols, 
we saw little of the enemy until five o'clock in the 
afternoon, when Jackson's vanguard attacked them, 
and was soon engaged in a sharp skirmish. At the 
same time the distant thunder of cannon was sound- 
ing over from Mechanicsville, where Longstreet had 
attacked the enemy in their strong position. Jackson 
at once brought up his troops with his usual celerity 
of movement, and towards six o'clock the battle was 
at its height. 

Our cavalry was in reserve, and as we had reason 
to fear an attack on the left flank. General Stuart 
despatched me with a small body of men on a 
reconnoitring expedition, which was so far successful 
that, after about half an hour's ride, we came upon 
a strong detachment of the enemy's cavalry, who 
instantly set to work to chase us. We returned 
at a hard gallop, the enemy behind us in hot 
pursuit. General Stuart, perceiving this, placed two 
pieces of horse-artillery in the road, which, as soon 
as we had passed them, greeted the enemy with 
grape-shot. This created extreme confusion among 
our pursuers; they left their dead and wounded 
behind them, and took to immediate flight, followed 
by one of our regiments. Meanwhile the battle was 
going in our favour ; the enemy were driven from 
one position to another, and by ten o'clock at night 
were retreating. We encamped for the remainder of 
the night upon the battle-field, and rose with the 
earliest beams of the sun. 



THE FEDERAL LANCERS. 37, 

27^A June 1862. — In the immediate neiglibour- 
hood of Coal Harbour, a small collection of houses 
some fifteen miles distant from Eichmond and ten 
or twelve miles east of Mechanicsville, the enemy, 'to 
the number of 60,000 men, had taken a new position, 
strengthened by natural as well as artificial fortifica- 
tions. Jackson had with him in all, including liis 
reinforcements, about 40,000 men, every one .of 
whom followed with enthusiasm and entire con- 
fidence their beloved, admifed leader. Our cavalry 
force occupied its old position on the left fiank of 
our army, and during the forenoon of the 27th had 
several encounters with the enemy's horse, all 
which, as was usual at that time, terminated in our 
favour. 

One of these encounters, an affair of a" few 
minutes, was with a newly-organised regiment of 
Federal Lancers. They stood 300 yards from us in 
line of battle, and presented, with their glittering 
lances, from the point of each of which fluttered a 
red-and-white pennon, and their fresh, well-fitting 
blue uniforms turned up with yellow, a fine fnartial 
appearance. One of our regiments was immediately 
ordered to attack them ; but before our Virginia 
horsemen got within fifty yards of their line, this 
magnificent regiment, which had doubtless excited 
the liveliest admiration in the Northern cities on 
its way to the .seat of war, turned tail and fled in 
disorder, strewing the whole line of their retreat 
with their picturesque but inconvenient arms. The 
entire skirmish, if such it may be called, was over in 
less time than is required to record it ; and I do not 
believe that out of the whole body of 700 men more 
than twenty retained their lances. Their sudden 
and total discomfiture furnished a striking proof of 
the fact that this weapon, formidable enough in the 
hand of one accustomed to wield it, is a downright 
absurdity and encumbrance to the inexperienced. 

About two o'clock in the afternoon the battle 



38 STEADINESS UNDER EIRE. 

became general along tlie lines, and at three o'clock 
raged in its full fury. The fire of musketry rolled 
continuously, and more than 150 howitzers and 
Napoleon and Parrot guns opened all around us, 
and united in one incessant roar. The ground 
being not favourable for cavalry operations, we 
occupied a place on the left wing of the line of 
battle, but were nearly all day under fire of the 
enemy's cannon. General Stuart, accompanied by 
his Staff and personal escort, pressed forward with 
his two batteries of horse-artillery, which, under the 
command of my gallant friend John Pelham, soon did 
most admirable execution. The enemy at once con- 
centrated the fire of five batteries on this point, and 
every kind of missile hurtled heavily through the 
smoky air, spreading death and destruction on all 
-sides. I had many a hot ride during the afternoon 
through this tempest of shot and shell, and it appears 
now almost incomprehensible that I escaped unin- 
jured. 

It was about five o'clock when General Stuart re- 
turned with us to his cavalry, which had been, and 
were still, sufi*ering severely from the fire of a battery 
that had been boldly pressed forward to a favourable 
position, and kept thundering down on our much-ex- 
posed horsemen with rapid and terrible discharges. 
Just as we were galloping along the line, the enemy 
opened upon us with grape and canister, and our men 
began to waver a little, the ranks getting into some 
confusion. At this moment General Stuart, who had 
to ride a few hundred yards farther to meet Colonel 
Fitz Lee, turned round to me, saying, "Captain, I 
wish you to remain here with my Staff and escort 
until I come back, to give a good example to the 
men." So we had to stand for many minutes in this 
diabolical fire of canister, which came rattling along 
the hard dry ground, or howled over us right and left 
— a pretty severe trial. It requires but little courage 
to attack the enemy, or even to ride about compos- 



LUDICROUS EPISODES. 39 

edly under fire, in comparison with what is demanded 
to sit quietly in face of several batteries, from which, 
with every momentary puff of smoke from the mouths 
of the guns, one may reasonably expect the messen- 
ger of death. A shell which exploded directly over 
our heads tore nearly to pieces the captain of the 
squadron nearest to me, with whom I had just been 
talking, and killed or wounded several of the men. 
But our example had a telling effect ; the ranks closed 
up and remained in good order until the command was 
given, and the long line of horsemen, soon in rapid 
trot, disappeared behind a range of friendly hills. 

General Stuart and Staff now galloped forward 
again to our artillery, which in the mean time had 
lost many men and horses, but was still answering 
with the greatest energy the galling fire of the nume- 
rous batteries of the enemy. Just at this time a 
little incident occurred, which, in the very carnival 
of death, provoked our hearty laughter. One of our 

Staff-officers, Captain , whom we had often joked 

about the nimble and successful manner in which he 
dodged the shells of the enemy, and who had this 
day again made the politest obeisance to their mis- 
siles, annoyed at our raillery, had declared that he 
would never again bow at their approach, and was 
sitting with the utmost gravity bolt-upright in the 
saddle, when a 12 -pounder solid shot screamed 
through the air only a few feet over his head. Down 
went the head not merely to the saddle, but, with 
the body to which it was still securely attached, to 
the earth, amidst the convulsive shouts of his com- 
rades and the cannoneers. Another incident which 
we witnessed about the same time, produced no less 
merrimapt amid the fury of the battle. A wounded 
man was borne along hj two of his comrades, his 
limbs hanging down motionless and his head dangling 
about as if life was nearly extinct. The fire of the 
enemy was still murderous, and one of the carriers, 
struck by a musket-ball, fell to the ground, dropping 



49 A NAEROW ESCAPE. 

his charge, who, seeing himself in great danger, sud- 
denly revived, and, jumping up, took to his heels with 
the most surprising agility. The explosive laughter 
which followed him in his rapid flight all along our 
lines absolutely drowned for a few moments the 
tumult and hurly-burly of the engagement. 

About six o'clock in the evening I was sent by 
General Stuart to order to the front two squadrons 
of our Georgia regiment to attack one of the Federal 
batteries which, without proper support, had been 
making a very bold advance. The enemy had 
brought up to the distant heights twenty pieces of 
rifled ordnance, which, by undue elevation, firing 
too high for the effect they desired, were playing 
upon an open space of ground over which I had to 
ride. The fire was so terrific that I found one of our 
reserve batteries, not actively engaged at the mo- 
ment, entirely deserted by its gunners, who had 
sought protection with the horses in a deep ravine, 
and who cried out to me to dismount and join them, 
or certain death must be my fate. I pushed on, 
and reached my destination in safety ; but galloping 
back I felt a stunning blow across the spine, and at 
the same moment my horse rolled over with me. I 
was confident the animal had been struck by a can- 
non-ball ; but, to my great surprise, I was not able 
to discover any wound. As I was myself unhurt, I 
remounted my brave animal, and continued my way. 
A solid shot had passed close to my horse's back, 
and the current of air set in motion by its passage 
had knocked over both horse and rider. Afterwards, 
during the war, I witnessed many similar cases of ^ 
prostration of men and animals by "windage." ;>i ' 0\^\ 

At seven o'clock in the evening the battle had 
taken a most favourable turn for our arms. At this 
time the enemy, who had ofi'ered throughout the day 
the most obstinate resistance, intrenched in very 
strong positions, and attacking us in the centre with 
25,000 regular troops, the dite of M'Clellan's army, 



OUR VICTORY AND ITS RESULTS. 4/ 

began slowly to give way before the impetuoiib 
valour of our men, who drove these veterans from 
one intrenchment to another, until, at eight p.m., 
they were in full retreat, and the victory was ours. 

Thousands of prisoners, among whom were two 
generals, several colonels, and many inferior officers, 
a large number of field-pieces, and many flags, fell 
into our hands. General Stuart, with his cavalry, 
was immediately sent in pursuit of the enemy's fly- 
ing columns, which we chased for nearly five miles, 
until the darkness of the night stopped our further 
progress. Eeturning, we were compelled to ride 
with great caution, for the field was strewn with 
wounded men, many of whom had crept to the edge 
of the highroad to get within reach of the ambu- 
lances. There is no sadder sight than that of a. 
battle-field after the conflict is over. Happily, night 
at this moment veiled from us its full horrors ; but 
there was an overwhelming sense of utter hopeless- 
ness in riding among so many poor fellows, whom 
one would have so much liked to assist, even with 
the " cup of cold water," — brave fellows, groaning in 
their agony, and calling upon every passer-by for 
help — with an entire consciousness on our part of 
the fearful aggregate of the misery, and, alas 1 of the 
little we could do for its alleviation. 

We encamped upon the field of battle. About 
midnight I felt myself touched on the shoulder ; and 
when, grasping the hilt of my sword, I abruptly de- 
manded who was there, a mild voice answered me, 
" General Jackson." The great Confederate leader 
was in search of General Stuart. Stuart, who slept 
on my right, was immediately aroused; and Jackson, 
accepting my invitation so to do, sat down on my 
blankets by his side. I left them alone, those grand 
warriors, in their midnight council, and wandered 
about, meditating on the stirring events of the day. 
I was deeply impressed by the blackness of the 
night and the profound stillness of the slumbering 



40 ESCORTING PRISONERS. 

^.amp. Here and there a camp-fire shed a red glow 
around, and the stillness was only too mournfully 
interrupted by the groans of wounded and dying 
men, who, not many hours before, had been full of 
health and hope. 

At the early dawn of morning, on the 28th of June, 
all was in motion again, as General Stuart had 
received orders to proceed at once with his cavalry 
to the White House on the Pamunkey river, where 
immense supplies for M'Clellan's army had been 
collected. I was exceedingly disappointed, when, 
ordering my horse to be saddled, my mulatto servant 
reported that my brave chestnut was unable to rise, 
in consequence of the injuries sustained by the 
heavy contusion of the previous day — injuries from 
which it never recovered. I had no choice, there- 
fore, but to remain behind until I could procure 
another animal. But I was not idle. Acting in 
concert with Captain Fitzhugh, of General Stuart's 
Staff, and assisted by a dozen couriers, I employed 
myself in collecting and placing under guard the 
prisoners that were still coming in by fifties and 
hundreds from every part of the extensive battle- 
field. Among these prisoners was a major of 
artillery, who had served with General Stuart in the 
old regular army of the United States, and who had 
been acquainted with Captain Fitzhugh before the 
war. He was a most intelligent and agreeable man, 
but seemed greatly annoyed by his capture. After 
some hesitation, however, he accepted the rude 
hospitality of our little camp, and shared our meagre 
breakfast, consisting of soup and hard bread. He 
talked very sensibly of the war and of the recent 
battle, and expressed his great admiration for Lee, 
Jackson, and Stuart. 

About 10 A.M. I was able to turn the prisoners 
over to one of Jackson's o£fi.cers; and then, mounting 
a horse which was kindly ofi'ered me by one of our 
couriers, I set out for a ride over the field of the 



A RIDE OVER THE BATTLE-FIELD. 4/ 

fight. It was, indeed, a sad and cruel spectacle. 
Death had raged fearfully in many places, especially 
where our troops had been compelled to storm the 
strong intrenchments of the enemy. On some of 
these perilous slopes the dead bodies might be seen 
piled three or four deep. I was struck here by the 
piteous contrast presented by the bodies of two of 
our dead which were lying side by side. I can 
never forget the sight ; I can see them now — one a 
man of more than fifty, who had been shot through 
the head, and whose silvery white hair was dabbled 
in his blood ; the other, next him, a lad of sixteen, 
whose frank face was lighted up by clustering fair 
hair, and v/hose small hands were crossed over his 
heart, where the enemy's bullet had struck him. 

Among Jackson's men on the previous day I had 
looked with astonishmxcnt at a soldier from Missis- 
sippi — a perfect giant, whose appearance had at- 
tracted the more attention from a vest of bear-skin 
that he wore. Here among the dead I found him 
again, with a small hole in the breast, which had 
been sufficient to make an end at once of all his 
strength and vigour. 

Many stories had been recited in camp about 
a tremendous bayonet-fight, hand to hand, during 
the battle, between our Texans and the New York 
Zouaves, and it was said that two of these deter- 
mined antagonists had pierced each other through 
and through with their formidable and fatal weapons, 
and that their dead bodies had been found standing 
erect in the very attitude in which each had received 
his death -wound. Curiosity carried me to the 
spot. An obstinate struggle had indeed taken place 
there between the troops named, which had ended in 
the utter annihilation of the much-vaunted Zouaves, 
whose bodies, dressed in flashy red uniforms, were 
scattered about all over the ground like the scarlet 
poppies in a corn-field ; but the never-erring bullet 
of the famous Texan marksmen had brousfht them 



40 RUMOUR OF POISONED WELLS. 

^down, not the bayonet. ( I carefully examined many 
of the corpses, and found only three or four with 
TDayonet-wounds, and these had been received evi- 
dently after the bullets.^ These accounts of bayonet- 
fights are current after every general engagement, 
and are frequently embodied in subsequent " his- 
tories," so called ; but as far as my experience goes, 
recalling all the battles in which I have borne a 
part, bayonet-fights rarely if ever occur, and exist 
only in the imagination. 

About mid-day I returned to our encampment, 
where I found, to my great delight, a fresh horse 
that Captain Fitzhugh had procured for me, and a 
company of our cavalry which was just starting to 
join our comrades at the White House. As the 
officer in command pretended to know the way very 
well, I made up my mind at once to join them ; and 
after a march of more than six hours, discovered, to 
my intense disgust, that the captain had missed his 
road completely. As night was now approaching, 
^nd squads of the enemy's cavalry were reported in 
every direction, nothing was left to us but to return 
to our starting-point, which we reached again about 
midnight. Our return not a little surprised and 
annoyed Captain Fitzhugh, who, in the mean time, 
had received intelligence from General Stuart, and 
orders for me to join him on the following morning. 

During our march back to camp, passing one of 
our picket-posts, we found our men there in great 
excitement, and were informed by them that the 
enemy had poisoned all the wells and springs in the 
neighbourhood, in consequence of which several of 
their number were in a dying condition. Three or 
four, indeed, were very bad ; but although I do 
not love 'the Yankees, I am quite sure they were 
entirely innocent of this. The sufferers had been 
made ill by the too abundant use of bad apple- 
brandy, which will kill anybody. 

The first streak of day of the 29th found us once 



SCENE FKOM THE HEIGHTS. 4/ 

more in the saddle, marching gaily along thronglf 
the dense green forests of oak and hickory. We had 
a long ride before us, and as we had information 
from Stuart that active work was to be done, we 
hastened forward as rapidly as possible. The dis- 
tant thunder of cannon soon announced to us that 
the fight had opened ; but eagerly as we pushed our 
horses, it was nearly twelve o'clock when we reached 
a plateau about two miles from the White House, 
only to learn that the battle was over. At the foot 
of this plateau extended, about two miles in breadth, 
and in length as far as the eye could reach, the green 
fertile valley of the Pamunkey, whose yellow waters 
flowed directly past the "plantation," or estate, of 
the White House, the property of our Colonel, Wil- 
liam H. F. Lee. This wide verdant flat was covered 
with thousands of tents and storehouses, and formed 
the main depot of the Federal army, numbering, be- 
fore the late battles, at least 150,000 men. The 
enemy's cavalry, forced to fly by the celerity of 
Stuart's attack, had, in their rapid retreat, set fire 
to all the principal buildings ; and from more than 
a hundred different points vast volumes of smoke 
were rising in the air, while the stately mansion of 
Colonel Lee was wreathed in flames. All over the 
field our horsemen were busy as ants, here rescuing 
from destruction quantities of valuable provisions, 
there enjoying luxuries of which they had long been 
deprived, that were scattered in the greatest profu- 
sion on every hand. I found General Stuart on the 
very brink of the Pamunkey, where he had estab- 
lished his headquarters in a delightfully cool spot, 
beneath the boughs of a 'gigantic plantain, regaling 
himself with iced lemonade, which he shared with 
me, and which fell upon my tongue like nectar. Ice, 
lemons, crushed sugar, and many other dainties and 
delicacies, which we knew only by recollection, were 
heaped around us in large piles, for the benefit of 
any one who would reach out his hand to take them. 



40 VAST DESTEUCTION OF STORES. 

^■•I'he General was in excellent spirits, and received 
me most cordially, losing no time in recounting to 
me the splendid results of his expedition. He had 
broken the enemy's cavalry by his first attack, taken 
many prisoners, captured untold wealth of spoil, and, 
what amused and delighted him most of all, disabled 
and driven off a Federal gunboat by the fire of his 
dismounted sharpshooters and two pieces of horse- 
artillery. After a few minutes' rest, my curiosity led 
me through the burning encampment. Never in my 
life had I seen such enormous quantities of commis- 
sary stores — never had I supposed that an army of 
invasion would voluntarily encumber itself with such 
an incalculable amount of useless luxuries. Hun- 
dreds of boxes of oranges and lemons were piled up 

.together, many of which, broken, sent the golden 
fruit rolling all over the ground. Great pyramids of 
barrels of white and brown sugar, and of salt fish, 
and eggs packed in salt, were blazing on all sides. 
One of the burning barrels of eggs we knocked open, 
and found its contents roasted a merveille, which 
gave us, with other edibles within easy reach, such a 
repast as we had not enjoyed for many months. Not 
far from us, as we thus feasted, were little mountains 
of hams of bacon, and boxes of arms, uniforms, and 
equipments for more than 10,000 men. An equal 
number of the latter we discovered in the river, as 
well as two transports, laden with whisky and other 
liquors, which had been sunk by the enemy on our 
approach, but which we raised and secured with 
little difficulty. A large number of railway carriages 
and new locomotive engines, and a pontoon train, 
also fell into our hands. In strolling through the 
more distant camps, I had the good fortune to secure 
a fine horse which had been left behind by his Fede- 
ral owner in the hurry of his departure ; but I lost 
my prize very soon afterwards. 

In one of the houses near by I discovered the 

, body of a handsome young man, an officer, who had 



CONTINUED PURSUIT OF THE ENEMY. 4/ 

been killed in one of the late battles. The body had 
been so skilfully embalmed that one could almost 
believe the poor fellow only slept. I set a guard 
over the corpse to protect it from casual injury, and 
it was soon afterwards delivered to the relatives of 
the deceased. The report was circulated in camp, 
and obtained some credence, that it was one of the 
French princes of the Orleans family, who were then 
serving on the Staff of General M'Clellan, and had 
taken part in the recent engagements ; but this story 
was never believed by General Stuart or myself. 

Late at night I returned exceedingly weary to 
camp, to find such rest as the myriads of musquitoes 
would allow me. 

The following day the work of saving, and destroy- 
ing what could not be saved, out of the spoils at the 
White House, was continued, and then we moved off 
to join the army of General Lee, at that moment pur- 
suing the enemy on his retreat to Harrison's Landing, 
on James river. We left behind one regiment as a 
guard over the property, estimated at millions of 
dollars in value, which we had collected to be trans- 
ported to Eichmond and the military depots of our 
army. While the operations I have just detailed had 
been going on under Stuart at the White House, 
General Lee had been very active — engaging the 
enemy and driving him further back every day. 
That we might regain the main body as speedily as 
possible, we marched for the remainder of the day 
without stopping in the hot sun, and encamped at 
nightfall upon the exact spot on the Chickahominy 
where, a few weeks before, we had made so narrow 
an escape. At daybreak next morning we received 
orders to move as rapidly as we might eight miles 
higher up the river, to ford it in the neighbourhood 
of Bottom's Bridge, and, falling upon the flank of the 
Federal army, to intercept its hasty retreat ; but 
upon reaching this point we received counter orders, 
as the Federal army had already passed, and we rode 



^^48 CHARGING A CHERRY-TREE. 

back in full gallop to Forge Bridge, our starting- 
point. Here we found that the enemy, anticipating 
our movement, had posted artillery and sharpshooters 
in advantageous position on the river-bank, and we 
were accordingly received with a very determined 
resistance. Soon, however, Pelham came up with 
his horse-artillery, and, by a well-directed fire, opened 
a passage for us. The enemy retreated in precipita- 
tion, leaving their dead and wounded all along the 
course of their flight, and we were able to make but 
a very few prisoners. The sun was now pouring 
down with intense fervour, and as our horses were 
wellnigh exhausted with our rapid marching and 
counter-marching, we were compelled to take a few 
hours' rest on the roadside. We lay down in a 
corner of the fence beneath the shade of some 
cherry-trees hanging full of their delicious fruit, the 
bunches unfortunately just a little too high to serve 
our parched mouths with grateful refreshment. Stuart 
and I were standing on the highest rail of the fence, 
trying with difficulty to pluck some of the cherries, 
when he laughingly said to me, " Captain, you charge 
the Yankees so w^ell, why do you not attack this 
cherry-tree and bring it down ? " Without hesitation 
I jumped from my elevated position, grasping the 
higher part of the trunk, and breaking down the free, 
amid the loud cheers and laughter of the Staff and 
the soldiers around, who finished the spoil, now so 
easily to be gathered, in an incredibly short time. 

In the midst of our mirth over the fallen cherry- 
tree, we were interrupted by the hea^y boom of 
artillery brought to us from the heights of Malvern 
Hill, where a sanguinary battle had just begun, and 
we were again ordered into the saddle. From the 
weary condition of our horses, however, our march 
in the direction of the cannonade was but a slow 
one ; and it was not until late in the evening that 
we arrived upon the field of action, where the fate of 
the day had already been decided, the enemy having 



BATTLE OF MALVERN HILL. 4$ 

retreated under cover of his gunboats on James 
river. For the first time at Malvern Hill, in the 
progress of the American war, was it satisfactorily 
shown how important in a battle is the concen- 
tration of a large number of pieces of artillery upon 
one point ; and the army of General M'Clellan was 
only saved from utter destruction by sixty guns, 
which, being very favourably posted in his centre, 
poured dismay and death into our attacking columns. 
The effect was more disastrous than had been before 
produced by artillery. In this battle our losses were 
very heavy, and I may say that the victory was ours 
only from the ignorance of our position on the part 
of the enemy, who retreated exactly at the moment 
when he had gained the most important success. 

As this battle was the last of the famous seven 
days' fighting before Richmond, I may be allowed to 
sulomit a very few remarks in review of the memor- 
able struggle and its brilliant results. The fight 
began on the 26th June at Mechanicsville, and 
ended on the 2d July after Malvern Hill. M'Clellan, 
whose lines extended across the Chickahominy in a 
semicircle around Eichmond, from the James river 
to the strong position of Mechanicsville, had in the 
first two days of the contest been completely whipped 
by Jackson on the right, and that portion of his 
army north of the Chickahominy had been driven to 
the south side, where the subsequent engagements of 
Eraser's Farm on the 29th, Willis's Church on the 
30th, and, last of all, Malvern Hill, drove him in 
rapid retreat to his unassailable place of refuge at 
Westover, on the James river. At this point a large 
flotilla of gunboats protected him from any further 
attack on our part, and numerous transports supplied 
him with abundant provisions, ammunition, and re- 
inforcements. M'Clellan's retreat was indeed mas- 
terly, and too much credit cannot be paid him for 
the skill with which he managed to hold his own, 
and check the advance of our victorious troops at 

D 



50 ESCAPE OF A SPY. 

Malvern Hill. His final success, however, in saving 
his army, was due to the inexcusable tardiness and 
disobedience of orders displayed by some of our 
Confederate generals. The fault was certainly not 
in General Lee's dispositions. 

Our whole loss in killed and wounded was about 
9000 men — that of the enemy amounted to 16,500, 
besides several thousand prisoners. The amount of 
artillery and ammunition, and more especially of 
small-arms, equipments, and commissary stores, that 
fell into our hands, was enormous. 



CHAPTEE IV. 

RIDE TO RICHMOND — EXPEDITION ON THE JAMES RIVER — A 
PRISONER OF THE NINTH VIRGINIA CAVALRY — FISHING 
AND SHOOTING— SUNDAY IN CAMP — HEADQUARTERS AT 
HANOVER COURT-HOUSE — CAMP SCENES — FIGHTS AND RE- 
CONNAISSANCES — RATTLESNAKE AND BULL-FROG — DEPART- 
URE FROM DUNDEE. 

During the night which followed the battle of 
Malvern Hill, w^e encamped in the orchard of a 
small farmhouse near the field, but our repose was 
made exceedingly uncomfortable by heavy showers 
of rain following one another in rapid succession 
until the dawn. Profiting by the darkness of the 
night and the disturbance created by the storm, a 
spy, who had been captured by some of our men, 
and who had been condemned to be hanged the 
next morning, contrived to make his escape. I was 
rather glad of it. He was an old man of more than 
sixty, and I had seen him riding along with us all 
the day on a miserable mule, his hands tied behind 
him, with such a terrified expression upon his ashy 



EFFECTS OF ARTILLERY FIRE ON THE WOODS. 51^ 

features, that I regarded t>ie poor sinner as suffi- 
ciently punished by the agony he had already un- 
dergone. The morning opened heavily with rain, 
and I rose shivering from the damp ground to attend 
on General Stuart, from whom I received orders to 
ride at once into Eichmond for the purpose of 
executing some important duties there. As my old 
grey was very nearly broken down by hard riding, 
and I might hope to exchange him in Eichmond, my 
captured horse having been lost in the rapidity of 
our recent movements — and as, in all probability, 
fighting was not to be renewed — I started gladly 
upon this expedition. My ride took me over the 
battle-field and along a portion of the line of the 
enemy's former retreat. I looked with astonishment 
at the effect of the heavy artillery-fire of the enemy 
upon some portions of the forest. Hundreds of the 
largest trees were riven and shattered, and lay in 
fragments around, as if all the thunderbolts of 
heaven had been hurled against them ; and in many 
places the fallen trunks and branches barricaded the 
road so that it was difficult to get along at all. For 
miles the ground was thickly strewn with muskets, 
knapsacks, blankets, and other equipments that had 
been thrown away in their flight by the soldiers 
of the retreating Federal army. It was nearly night 
when I reached Eichmond. Wet, cold, and weary, I 
rode immediately to the hotel and sought my bed — a 
luxury which no one can thoroughly appreciate until 
he has long been deprived of it, and compelled as I 
had been for several nights to sleep in his clothes on 
the hard ground. 

The Spotswood Hotel at this time was crowded with 
guests, among whom, a neighbour of my own, was no 
less distinguished a person than a Federal General, 
M'Call, who had been taken prisoner in one of the 
recent battles. As might naturally have been ex- 
pected, the joy of the people of Eichmond was very 
great at the deliverance of their city from the hands 



■52 RETURN TO HEADQUARTERS. 

of the enemy ; but they took their good fortune with 
a very becoming composure, and spoke and acted just 
as if, in their judgment, with such an army as that of 
General Lee, under such commanders, between them 
and the invading force, the struggle for the Con- 
federate capital could have had no other result. No 
powder was wasted in salutes over the victory, no 
bonfires blazed, no windows were illuminated, and the 
general appearance of Eichmond was in all respects 
unchanged from what it had been a month before. 

My business in Richmond was speedily transacted, 
and the following day, having procured an excellent 
horse, I set out with fresh courage and spirits to re- 
join my General. Our army in the mean time had 
been pushed forward towards the James river, being 
close upon the enemy's formidable positions at AVest- 
over ; and as I rode along, I heard from time to time 
the heavy ordnance of the gunboats, which threw 
their tremendous projectiles wherever the grey uni- 
forms came in sight. Generals R. E. Lee, Longstreet, 
and Stuart had established their headquarters to- 
gether in the extensive farmyard of a Mr Phillips, 
which spot I reached late in the evening, after a long 
and dusty ride. Here for a few days we enjoyed rest 
and comparative quiet. Our generals were often in 
council of war, undecided whether or not to attack 
the enemy. On the morning of the 6th, General 
Stuart removed his headquarters about two miles 
lower down the river to the plantation of a Mr C, old 
friends of ours, where we were received, especially 
by the ladies, with great kindness and enthusiasm. 

About dusk on the 6th the General started with two 
of our regiments, the 4th and the 9th, and six pieces of 
our horse-artillery, to lay an ambush for the Federal 
gunboats, which every night came steaming up the 
river with fresh troops and supplies for their army. 
Having been detained by some duty at headquarters, 
I left about an hour later than the column, quite 
alone, and had on my ride a little adventure which 



AN AMUSING CAPTURE. 53 

gave rise to a great deal of merriment at my expense. 
I had been informed by one of our patrols that de- 
tachments of the enemy's cavalry had been seen in 
the neighbourhood, and I had therefore moved on 
with no little vigilance and circumspection. It was 
a beautiful night, the air was full of the fragrance of 
the wild-flowers and forest-blossoms, and myriads of 
fire-flies glittered in the surrounding darkness. Sud- 
denly, through the profound stillness of the night, 
there struck upon my quick ear the sound of hoofs 
upon my right hand, and out of a small dark bridle- 
path on the side of the road there emerged a horse- 
man, who wore, as well as I could distinguish, the 
Federal uniform. " Halt ! " said I. The stranger 
halted. " What is your regiment ?" " Eighth Illinois '' 
(hostile cavalry). The answer had no sooner been 
given than, putting spurs to my horse, I rushed upon 
my antagonist, who, seeing my revolver levelled with 
uncomfortably accurate aim at his breast, surrendered 
himself without the least hesitation as my prisoner. 
As I was conducting my capture to the spot where 
the 9th Virginia Cavalry was stationed, I perceived 
that he was riding an admirable horse, which I regard- 
ed with infinite satisfaction as already my property. 
He entertained me on the way with many stories 
about the Yankee army, how long he had served in 
it, &c. &c. When we had reached our regiment, 
however, he came out suddenly in the new character 
of a member of the corps, a private in the ranks, who 
had replaced his own tattered Confederate uniform 
with the uniform and cap of a captured Federal sol- 
dier, and who had taken me, from my foreign accent, 
for a Federal officer. As he made this recital, not 
without a certain latent satire at my prowess in mak- 
ing a prisoner of a private of the 9th Virginia Caval- 
ry, I confess that, recalling his extreme terror at the 
moment of his surrender, I lost all patience with him, 
and again levelling my pistol at him, I gave him 
to understand that I would make short wgrk of him 



54 ATTACK ON TKANSPORTS. 

at any future repetition of his jests. But I did not 
get my fine horse ; for upon turning over my prison- 
er, whom I still supposed to be a Yankee, to Colonel 
Fitzhugh Lee, he recognised in him at once a man of 
his own command, who had most imprudently as- 
sumed one of the captured Federal uniforms. This 
substitution of dress was unfortunately very often 
done by our men, and many a poor fellow has been 
killed by his own friends because he could not resist 
the temptation of discarding his dirty rags for a new 
blue coat and trousers. In addition to the loss of 
my captured horse, I was very much teased for my 
mistake, and General Stuart often laughingly asked 
me, " How many prisoners of the 9th Virginia have 
you taken lately ? " 

Pursuing my ride, after having disposed of the 
Confederate prisoner, I found General Stuart at a 
point upon the. river-bank where Captain Stephen D. 
Lee, who later distinguished himself as a general at 
Vicksburg and in the Western campaigns, had placed 
the six ])ieces of artillery in a very favourable posi- 
tion. We had not long to wait before opening fire. 
The expected Yankee transports, five in number, soon 
came in sight, and passed us slowly not more than 
one hundred yards distant from our battery. Our 
pieces thundered all together, and kept up an inces- 
sant discharge. The effect on the transports, which 
were densely crowded with Federal troops, cannot be 
described. We could distinctly hear our balls and 
shells crashing through the sides of the vessels, the 
cries of the wounded on board, and the confused ran- 
dom commands of the officers. One of the smaller 
transports sank in a few minutes, the others escaped 
more or less injured. In a very short time, hearing 
the approach of a whole flotilla of gunboats, under 
very heavy pressure of steam, for the protection of 
the transports, we quickly limbered up, and were 
already a mile nearer to our encampment, when, 
to our amusement, the enemy, with his ponderous 



DEVASTATION OF THE COUNTKY. 55 

100 -pounder guns, concentrated an appalling fire 
upon the point we had just left. 

During the next few days nothing disturbed the 
quiet of our camp, and on the 8th I had the pleasure 
of receiving from the Post-Quartermaster at Rich- 
mond a noble black horse to replace the chestnut 
disabled in the battle of Coal Harbour — an animal 
which, by its speed and magnificent jumping, saved 
my life several times during my later campaigns. 

It would be impossible to give an idea of the im- 
poverishment and utter destitution of the country, 
which the presence of two immense armies had de- 
prived of everything, and which the recent battles 
had devastated with fire. The sad and sickening 
evidences of the shock of arms were only too plainly 
visible on every side. Upon the numberless fester- 
ing carcasses of horses and mules the sun poured 
down with a tropical blaze, while the air was also 
poisoned with the stench from human bodies that 
had been hastily buried but a few inches below the 
surface. For many miles around nothing could be 
procured to support life. I well recollect that Cap- 
tain Stuart of our Staff and myself were digging for 
a whole day in the garden of a little farmhouse for 
a few miserable onions and diseased potatoes to ap- 
pease our hunger. Such is the condition of a region 
of country, no matter how fertile and productive it 
may have been in former days, over which war has 
expended its fury. 

On the evening of the 9th we were suddenly 
brought to horse again by a fierce demonstration of 
the enemy, who drove in our pickets, but was re- 
pulsed without much difQculty. On the 10th we 
received information that General M'Clellan had de- 
termined to embark his army on his transports at 
Harrison's Landing, and at the same time orders to 
march to Hanover county, on the opposite side of 
Eichmond, to recruit our horses, and organise some 
better system of ]3rocuring forage and provisions. 



56 AGAIN IN RICHMOND. 

Leaving the regiments "behind us, General Stuart 
and I galloped off together along the road to Eich- 
mond. On our way we stopped at the house of the 
Irish family, Iwhere, more than a month before, we 
had spent some anxious hours, on the occasion of 
our midnight ride to hold a rendezvous with the spy 
just previous to the Pamunkey expedition, and where 
we were now received with abundant chit-chat by 
the loquacious landlady, who supplied us with fresh 
milk and blackberries. It was late in the evening 
when we reached the city, where the General pressed 
me to accompany him in a visit to the President — 
a pleasure which I was compelled to deny myself in 
consequence of the shabby condition of my garments. 
As we remained in town the whole of the next day, 
I took advantage of the opportunity to fit myself out 
with a full uniform of the newest gloss, consisting of 
a light grey frock-coat with buff facings, dark blue 
trousers, and a little black cocked-hat with sweeping 
ostrich plume, the regulation dress for staff-officers, 
which is as picturesque as it is suitable for active 
service. 

On the morning of the 12th we set out for Hanover 
county, where our headquarters had been established 
upon the farm of a Mr Timberlake, near Atlee's 
Station, on the line of the Virginia Central Eailway. 
Mr Timberlake's house was situated in the midst of 
a forest of lofty oak and hickory trees, around which 
stretched fertile fields. The proprietor himself was 
a pleasant, jovial old gentleman, who had two sons 
in our cavalry ; and as he remitted no exertions to 
make us comfortable, we had really nothing to desire. 
On the 14th Mrs Stuart arrived at a neighbouring 
mansion, and as she had accepted the General's invita- 
tion to share our camp dinner, I galloped over — the 
faithful mulatto " Bob " following with a led horse — 
to escort her to our headquarters. It was always a 
pleasure to me to ride with the Virginia ladies, who, 
with rare exceptions, are admirable horsewomen, to 



AN IMPROMPTU PARTY. 57 

wliom no fence is too high and no ditch too wide. 
Mrs Stuart was often with us, coming whenever we 
could look forward to a few days of inactivity. Her 
children were the pets of the whole camp ; and during 
those hrief but frequent interludes of domesticity, we 
were all united together as members of one family. 

On the 17th we had a brigade drill and a review 
of our entire cavalry force, which demonstration was 
attended by a large number of spectators, principally 
the ladies of the neighbourhood, among whom General 
Stuart had many acquaintances and admirers, for 
he was always the hero and idol of the gentle sex. 
Wlien the military performance was over, he gal- 
loped around from carriage to carriage, presenting 
us in turn to the fair inmates, and inviting them to 
drive over and take a look at our camp, which was 
not more than a mile distant. As several families 
accepted the invitation. Captain Fitzhugh and myself 
were sent in advance to make suitable preparations 
for their reception. With Mr Timberlake's kind 
permission, assisted by a little army of negro ser- 
vants, we plundered his house of its chairs and 
sofas, which were disposed in a semicircle beneath 
an immense tent-fly that had been among the spoils 
taken from the enemy at the White House ; and 
our hastily-improvised al fresco drawing-room was 
quite complete and effective in its arrangements 
when the carriages arrived upon the ground. For 
refreshment we had cool fresh milk and ginger-cakes 
for the ladies, and the Virginia mint-julep for the 
gentlemen; animated talk alternated with patriotic 
songs on all sides, and our guests took away with them 
the impression that camp-life was not so bad after all. 

We occupied ourselves now chiefly with fishing 
and shooting, as had the red Indians of these woods 
and streams two hundred years ago. The Chicka- 
hominy aff'orded us abundance of perch and cat-fish, 
which were welcome additions to the supplies of our 
mess-table; but taking the fish was attended with 



:68 AN ENGLISH VISITOR. 

many discomforts and difficulties. From the pecu- 
liar formation of the river-banks, high and densely 
skirted with trees, we w^ere forced to wade about in 
the shallow stream, where we were vigorously at- 
tacked by the most voracious horse-leeches, which 
fastened themselves on our exposed legs in such 
numbers as to make it necessary to go ashore every 
five minutes to shake them off. The small hare of 
Virginia darted about in every direction in the fields 
and thickets ; but shooting the grey squirrel, which 
was quite new to me, afforded me the best sport ; 
and from the great agility of the animal, it was by 
no means so easy a matter as one might suppose. 
The foliage of the hickory, in which the grey squirrel 
has his favourite abode, is very dense, and the active 
little creature knows so well how to run along the 
opposite side of the limb from the gentleman with 
the gun, that one must be as much on the alert as 
his game to fire exactly at the moment when it is in 
sight and unprotected. The grey squirrel is smaller 
than the red or fox squirrel, and as it subsists princi- 
pally on chestnuts and hickory-nuts, its meat is very 
delicate. I had some repugnance to eating them at 
first, as disagreeably suggestive, in their appearance, 
of rats ; but I soon learned to appreciate the game, 
and it became one of my most highly valued dishes. 
On the 18th, about noon, as I had just returned 
from one of my little shooting expeditions. General 
Stuart having gone off to Eichmond on duty, I found 
Captain Fitzhugh engaged in entertaining an English- 
man, Lord Edward St Maur, who had given us the 
pleasure of being our guest for the day. As our mess 
supplies were limited, I was not a little concerned as 
to the materials for a dinner ; but William, our negro 
cook, hearing that I had two squirrels in my game- 
bag, undertook to make a pie of them, and did this so 
successfully that I had the satisfaction to find the 
2Jate highly relished by my lord, who said he had 
never tasted anything better in his life. 



AT HANOVER COURT-HOUSE.' 59 

On Sunday the 19tli we had divine service in the 
camp. The officiating clergyman was the Eev. Mr 
Landstreet, chaplain of the 1st Virginia Cavalry, and 
the spot was an open place in the midst of the primi- 
tive forest. I was deeply impressed by the peculiar 
solemnity of the scene. It was indeed a striking 
picture, — hundreds of bearded warriors lying about 
on the grass, and listening with the utmost attention 
to the eloquent words of the preacher, beneath the 
green dome formed by the interlacing branches of the 
gigantic trees over their heads. 

On the 21st July we received orders again to re- 
move our encampment, and the spot chosen for it 
was in the immediate neighbourhood of the Court- 
house of the county of Hanover, which we reached 
the evening of that day. The Court-house building 
was erected in the year 1730, and any structure dat- 
ing from this period is regarded in America as a very 
ancient and venerable edifice. Within its walls, in 
the palmy day of his imperial declamation, the great 
orator Patrick Henry, " the forest-born Demosthenes," 
had pleaded the celebrated *' Parsons' Cause " in a 
speech the traditions of which yet live freshly in 
Virginia. It is a small building of red brick, plea- 
santly situated on a hill commanding a pretty view, 
several miles in extent, of fertile fields and dark-green 
woods, and a clear stream, which winds like a silvery 
thread through the distant valley. The Court-house 
and several offices belonging to it are surrounded by 
a shady enclosed grove of locust and plantain trees, 
about five acres in area. Here we established our 
headquarters. The cavalry regiments and horse- 
artillery were encamped in full view all around us — 
nearly 8000 men, with their grazing horses, white 
tents, and waving battle-flags — an animated panora- 
ma of active military life. Here our position was one 
of great comfort and enjoyment. Our tents were all 
put up with some regard to regularity; our mess 
arrangements were better ordered ; we made frequent 



60 A RECONNAISSANCE IN FORCE. 

visits to the houses of the Neighbouring planters, and 
we might have dismissed the war and its hardships 
from our minds, had not the enemy, who already- 
occupied Fredericksburg in heavy force, made it ne- 
cessary for us, as a matter of proper precaution, to 
maintain an extended line of pickets. 

The occurrence of my birthday on the 23d was the 
occasion to me of a pleasant little surprise in the 
presentation of a beautiful bouquet and the congratu- 
lations of my comrades on the Staff, and I had hoped 
to spend the day in social delights and dolce far 
niente ; but about ten A.M. we received intelligence 
that the enemy, advancing in strength from Freder- 
icksburg, had fallen, about fifteen miles distant, upon 
one of our squadrons on picket, dispersed it, and 
taken off with them a number of prisoners and horses. 
At twelve o'clock we started in pursuit with three 
regiments, amounting to about 2000 men, and two 
pieces of artillery. We reached the scene about dusk, 
and found, to our great disappointment, that the 
enemy had taken the back track about mid-day, and 
that there was now no chance of overtaking them. 
But General Stuart, having proceeded so far, deter- 
mined to extend his expedition to a more thorough 
reconnaissance, and accordingly encamped for the 
night upon the farm of a Mr Anderson, whence we 
made an early departure on the following morning. 
When I came to mount my horse for the march, I 
found with infinite annoyance that my saddle-bags, 
containing articles of great value to >me, had been 
stolen by one of the negro camp-followers, who were 
always lounging in large numbers about our encamp- 
ments. But one soon becomes accustomed to these 
little personal losses in war. To-day you lose some- 
thing of utility, to-morrow you take it back from 
the enemy with usury; indeed, the whole of my 
equipments consisted of spoils taken from the 
Yankees. 

Our march was continued throughout the day on 



A VIRGINIAN PARADISE. 61 

the 24th, and we arrived about dusk at a point ten 
miles from Fredericksburg, where we halted and 
fed our horses in a large clover-field. General 
Stuart threw forward his pickets with great caution, 
so that we might not be observed by the enemy, 
intending during the night to make a sudden at- 
tack on Fredericksburg, in the hope of driving the 
Yankees out of the town, or at least of alarming the 
garrison. This enterprise, however, was not favoured 
by the elements. About eleven p.m. there burst 
upon us a tremendous thunderstorm, with such a 
deluging downpour of rain, that the Mataponi, with 
its four tributaries, the Ma, Ta, Po, and M, in our 
rear, which we had forded easily, must soon have 
become so much swollen as to make recrossing im- 
possible. It was therefore necessary to start on a 
rapid retreat. The Indian name Mataponi is made 
up of four separate names of one syllable, as the 
river which bears this name is made up of the four 
several rivulets which become confluent at one point, 
and it furnishes us with a proof how practical the 
aboriginal inhabitants of America were in their no- 
menclature. We managed to ford the last of these 
streams with difficulty, and arrived only in the after- 
noon of the following day at our latest point of de- 
parture, Mr Anderson's. Here we left our command 
to rest the fatigued men and horses, and Captain 
Blackford of our Staff and myself accompanied 
General Stuart upon a hand-car, propelled by two 
negroes, along the railroad directly to Hanover 
Court-house, which place we reached at sunset. 

A few days now passed in perfect tranquillity, 
and we had the pleasure of paying occasional visits 
to our friends in the neighbourhood, most frequently 
of all at the hospitable mansion of Dr P., known as 
Dundee, which was one of the most charming places 
in the fair land of the Old Dominion. The house is 
situated on an elevated point in the midst of a beau- 
tiful oak grove which opens on the garden side, 



62 A FIEE. 

affording a lovely vista over riclily-cultivated fields, 
with a blue range of hills for background in the far 
distance. Around the house there was a profusion 
of flowers, and the entire locale was so sweet a para- 
dise, that it was the highest of satisfactions to us 
soldiers, accustomed to the roar of cannon and images 
of death and carnage, to enjoy the serene quiet that 
reigned in its grounds and apartments, and the 
charming society of the family circle that dwelt 
there. 

On Sunday evening the 26th we were assembled 
as usual on the verandah, enjoying the coolness of 
the twilight hours, delicious after the fierce heats of 
the summer day, when suddenly our attention was 
attracted by flames issuing from the roof of one of 
the farm stables, about 500 yards distant. As most 
of the negroes were absent, paying their Sunday 
visits, or otherwise spending their weekly holiday, 
the lightly-built stables and the cattle in them were 
in imminent danger of destruction. Of course we 
eagerly hastened to the spot to render what aid we 
could in extinguishing the fire or saving the pro- 
perty. After half an hour's hard work we succeeded 
in getting the fire under; and though all of us, and 
myself especially, were more or less burned in the 
face and hands, we felt highly gratified to have ren- 
dered some service to people who had shown us the 
most marked and constant kindness. General Stu- 
art, who always had his joke, gave the ladies a most 
absurd and extravagant account of my individual 
exertions, declaring that he had seen me running out 
of the burning building with a mule under one arm 
and two little pigs under the other. 

On the 29th we had another brigade drill, which 
drew together a considerable number of spectators. 
The place was an extended level plain, very favour- 
able for manoeuvres, and the whole drill was exe- 
cuted with as much precision as would have been 
exhibited by regular troops, and afforded indeed a 



OUR RECEPTION IN PORT ROYAI.. X. 63 



most brilliant spectacle. The fine day ended with 
the most terrible hurricane I ever witnessed. Thou- 
sands of trees were torn up by their roots and hurled 
in the air. Houses were everywhere unroofed. It 
may well be supposed that every tent of our encamp- 
ment was prostrated, and that general confusion and 
disorder marked the spot. 

The next day General Stuart surprised and glad- 
dened me inexpressibly by placing in my hands my 
commission as major and adjutant-general of cavalry, 
which he had brought with him from Eichmond. 
The General himself had been created a Major- 
General. Our cavalry, strongly reinforced by regi- 
ments from North and South Carolina, had been 
formed into a division consisting of three brigades, 
commanded by Brigadier- Generals Hampton, Fitz 
Lee, and Eobertson, with three batteries of horse- 
artillery, amounting in all to about 15,000 well- 
mounted men. 

On the 4th of August the trumpet sounded again 
for the march, as a reconnaissance in force was to 
be undertaken in the direction of Port Eoyal and 
Fredericksburg. With four regiments and one bat- 
tery we pushed on all day until we reached the vil- 
lage of Bowling Green, about twenty miles distant, 
where we made a bivouac for the night. On the 5th, 
the hottest day of the whole summer, we continued 
our march, and arrived at Port Eoyal . at eleven 
o'clock in the morning, just after a squadron of the 
enemy's cavalry, already apprised of our approach, 
had retreated lower down the Eappahannock. The 
joy of the inhabitants at our coming was touching 
to witness. The ladies, many of them with their 
cheeks wet with tears, carried refreshments around 
among our soldiers, and manifested, with the deepest 
emotion, their delight in seeing the grey uniforms, 
and their gratitude at their deliverance from the op- 
pressor. At one P.M. we resumed our march, halting 
only for a few minutes at the charming cottage of a 



64 PREPARATIONS FOR A SURPRISE. 

lady, where, at a later period, I was to spend some 
pleasant days, which had just then been left by a 
band of Yankee marauders, one of whom had robbed 
an old negro servant of the family of his silver 
watch. The negro, who recognised Captain Black- 
ford as an old friend of the household, complained to 
him most piteously of this treatment, and implored 
him to enforce restitution of his property. About 
three o'clock we overtook these marauders, whom 
our advance-guard had made prisoners, and upon 
one of the skulking fellows we at once discovered 
the watch, which, to the satisfaction of us all, and 
to the grinning delight of its rightful owner. Captain 
Blackford restored to him. 

At sunset we reached Eound Oak Church, only 
twelve miles distant from Fredericksburg^, where we 
bivouacked, taking the precaution to form a long 
cordon of pickets and vedettes, who took care that 
the enemy should not be informed of our movements 
from any of our followers, by allowing no one to pass 
outside their line. At the same time we sent for- 
ward some of our Texan scouts, who, soon return- 
ing, reported the enemy encamped in large numbers 
about five miles from Fredericksburg. One of the 
scouts, a man famous in his profession, had been 
shot by one of the Yankee sentinels, and brought 
back with him an arm badly shattered. 

In our bivouac I met with a little adventure that 
turned out fortunately enough, but might have cost 
me my life. Fatigued by the long ride, and ex- 
hausted by the intense heat of the day, I had spread' 
my blanket, soon after my amval, near an old log, 
which in former days had been used as a step by the 
ladies in mounting and dismounting on their rides 
to churph, but which I now proposed, in its decay, 
should serve me as a pillow. Ptcsting my head upon 
it I fell at once into a deep sleep, from which I was 
presently awakened by something crawling over my 
hand. I quickly shook off the object, which gave 



A NARROW ESCAPE. 65 

out a sharp, clear, rattling sound, and wliicli I per- 
ceived in tlie bright light of the moon to be a snake 
more than four feet in length that raised itself at me 
in an attitude that meant mischief. Sleeping^ -as I 
always did, with my arms by my side, it was the 
work of a moment to draw my keen Damascus blade* 
and sever the reptile in twain. Excited, however, 
by this unfamiliar hostile attack, and finding that 
the dissevered parts of the body continued to mani- 
fest vitality in wriggling about on tlie grass, I dealt 
yet several heavy blows at my enemy, and the noise 
of the encounter aroused the General with the whole 
of his Staff. Arms in their hands, they hastened to 
the scene of action, believing that not fewer than a 
hundred Yankees had fallen upon me. A roar of 
laughter burst from them at the nature of my mid- 
night combat ; but the affair seemed less ridiculous 
when they discovered that I had killed one of the 
largest specimens of the American rattlesnake, a 
reptile as venomous as the East Indian cobra, whose 
bite is certain and speedy death— a fate which I had 
very narrowly escaped. I could obtain little sleep 
during the remainder of the night ; and was ready to 
-move before sunrise when the command was given 
to mount. 

Our march lay in the direction of Massaponax 
Church, about eight miles distant from Fredericks- 
burg, on the Telegraph Eoad — a wide plank turnpike 
leading directly to Eichmond. We had been in- 

* This Damascus blade, which will be frequently mentioned 
hereafter hi my narrative, was a straight double-edged sword of 
tremendous size and excellent temper, which I had worn from 
the commencement of my military career in the Prussian Cuiras- 
siers of the Guards. It was even better known in the Confederate 
army than myself ; and many who were unable to pronounce my 
foreign name correctly used to speak of me as " the Prussian with 
the big sword." Stuart wrote to me after the battle of Gettys- 
biirg, in which, being prostrated by wounds, I did not participate, 
referring to the operations of his cavalry, ' ' My dear Von, I can- 
not tell you how much I missed you and your broad blade at 
Gettysburg." 

E 



66 THE ENEMY SURPRISED. 

formed by our spies and 'patrols that a Federal force 
of 8000 men, with the usual complement of artillery, 
under the command of Generals Hatch and Gibbon, 
was on an expedition to destroy the most important 
line of railway communication with our army, and 
burn the depots of supplies at Hanover Junction. 
Eiding as usual with the advance-guard, I was the 
first to discover the hostile column when we had 
reached a point within half a mile of the Telegraph 
Eoad. I immediately gave the order to halt, and 
rode back to give information of the enemy's pre- 
sence to General Stuart, who made his dispositions 
with his accustomed celerity. The main body of the 
enemy had already passed the spot where the road 
along which we were moving intersected the Tele- 
graph Eoad, and only their long waggon-train with 
its escort remained behind. Two regiments, with 
two pieces of artillery, were ordered to turn to the 
left in pursuit of the column ; one regiment, the 3d 
Virginia, was ordered to attack the waggon-train; 
and one regiment, with the rest of the artillery, was 
kept in reserve. I joined in the attack on the wag- 
gon-train, and the surprise and confusion of the 
escort cannot be described, when with a yell the 
horsemen in grey dashed out of the dark wood, and 
the Yankees knew at once that the so-much-dreaded 
Stuart was again upon them. Many of the drivers 
endeavoured to turn back with their waggons and 
seek safety in the speed of their teams, while for a 
time the escort maintained a feeble defence ; but the 
waggons were rapidly overtaken, the escort cut down, 
captured, or dispei-sed ; and the whole of the heavily- 
loaded train, with ninety prisoners, fell into our 
hands^^our own loss having been two men mortally 
wounded. 

General Stuart now collected his whole force, ex- 
cept a single squadron left on picket at Massaponax 
Church, and pressed with all possible haste upon the 
main body of the enemy, who in the outset were 



NEW MISSILES. 67 

totally surx3rised, and fled in disorderly rout before 
us for several miles. As soon as they discovered, 
however, that they had only cavalry and a few pieces 
of artillery against them, they made a stand-, and be- 
came in turn the assailants. Numerous batteries 
opened fire upon us ; and their long lines of tirail- 
leurs advanced in beautiful order. On this occasion 
I had a good laugh at General Stuart. Among other 
novelties in offensive warfare, the enemy employed 
against us in the fight one-pounder cannons, the balls 
of which being curiously shaped made a peculiar 
sound in their passage through the air. Just as the 
General and I had been placing two of our pieces in 
favourable position, and were riding nearer to the 
front, one of these exasperating little balls passed 
directly between us ; and my brave General, whom 
many a time I had seen, amid the heaviest artillery- 
fire, perfectly indifferent to shot and shell hissing 
around him, now, as the new projectile whizzed past 
us with its unfamiliar music, made it the politest 
bow imaginable. ^ 

In this combat I also saw for the first time explod- 
ing rifle-balls used in action. They fell on all sides, 
bursting with a crackling noise in the trees and on 
the ground, without doing much execution. After a 
short but sharp contest, General Stuart gave orders 
for the retreat, which was conducted with his usual 
skill along by-paths through the woods ; and our dis- 
appearance from the field was so sudden and com- 
plete, that the enemy could not possibly imagine 
what had become of their recent antagonists. I was 
myself sent to give the necessary advice to the squad- 
ron left on picket, with orders then to follow the 
command in the direction it had taken. Eeturning 
to join my companions, I was compelled to cross an 
open field over which the enemy were" advancing, and 
saw at once that their first line of tirailleurs had been 
pushed forward so far, that for the length of 300 
yards I must pass in front of them at a distance of 



68 FURTHER MOVEMENTS. 

not more than 150 paces. I immediately set my 
horse in rapid gallop ; and though the bullets 
whistled around my head with every stride of the 
animal, I escaped unhurt, and soon overtook the 
General. 

The success of our expedition had indeed been 
brilliant. Besides the damage done to the enemy in 
killing and wounding many of their men, and in 
capturing 200 prisoners and a valuable waggon-train, 
we had defeated their plans, saved the railway and 
our supply-depots from destruction, and so demoral- 
ised them, by making them feel that the vigilant and 
indefatigable Stuart was always in their rear, that 
they never organised another such raid from Frede- 
ricksburg. Late at niglit we again arrived at Bowling 
Green, where we encamped, and the next day re- 
turned to Hanover Court-house. The General, Cap- 
tain Blackford, and myself, galloping ahead of the 
troops, reached headquarters late in the afternoon, 
but in time to pay a visit in the evening to the 
family at Dundee. Here we found Mrs Stuart and 
her children, and Mrs Blackford, who had arrived 
during our absence, and who remained as guests at 
the hospitable mansion for several weeks. 
• During the past week our army, principally Jack- 
son's corps, had been moving along the Central Rail- 
way towards Gordonsville and Orange Court-house, 
as the new Federal commander. General Pope, had 
been concentrating a large army in the neighbour- 
hood of Culpepper to try a new route in the Federal 
" On to Richmond." The next day, after our arrival 
at headquarters, Stuart received a despatch summon- 
ing him to meet Jackson at Gordonsville, to which 
place he went off alone by rail, leaving us to the 
enjoyment of an interval of repose. 

It was a delightful period, filled up with visits at 
camp from the gentlemen of the region around, long 
evening rides with our lady friends, and pleasant re- 
unions. In the mornings I amused myself with my 



• NEGRO INGRATITUDE AND TREACMERY. 69 

revolver shooting the tremendous bull-frog" of the 
swamx^s, nearly as large as a rabbit, the legs of ^^-.hich 
were esteemed a great delicacy by my Americaji 
friends, and appeared every day upon our breakfast- 
table. I ate them twice, and found the meat in fla- 
vour and appearance very similar to young chicken, 
but I could never overcome my early prejudice 
against them, — a little weakness for which I was 
often derided by my comrades. 

An incident now happened to me annoyingly illus- 
trative of the treachery and ingratitude of the negro 
character. My servant Scott came to me with an 
affecting story of the serious illness of his wife, which 
so excited my sympathy that I not only obtained 
permission for him to visit his suffering spouse, but 
supplied him liberally with money, the contributions 
of myself and companions, to pay the expenses of his 
journey. The rascal disappeared, carrying off with 
him the greater part of my wardrobe, and we never 
saw him more. 

Our days of inaction were now drawing rapidly to 
an end. General Stuart, having taken a distinguished 
part in the battle of Cedar Eun, where Jackson had 
utterly routed the advanced corps of Pope's army, 
came back with marching orders on the 15th. Our 
regiments were to be in motion early next morning, 
and the General and Staff were to overtake them in 
the afternoon by rail. We dined for the last time at 
Dundee, and with grateful hearts took leave of our 
kind friends. I need not describe the parting scene 
between General Stuart and his family. I' will only 
say that his dear lady did not suffer me to quit the 
house until I had promised to watch over her hus- 
band in the hour of battle, and do all in my power 
to prevent him from rashly exposing himself to 
danger. 



'0 OPENINCr OF THE SUMMER CAMPAIGN IN VIRGINIA. 



CHAPTEE V. 

OPENING OF THE SUMMER CAMPAIGN IN VIRGINIA — ADVEN- 
TURE AT VERDIERSVILLE — THE FIRST CAVALRY-FIGHT AT 
BRANDY STATION — FIGHT AT CUNNINGHAM'S FORD — HEAVY 
ARTILLERY-FIGHT BETWEEN THE HAZEL AND RAPPAHAN- 
NOCK RIVERS — PASSAGE OF THE LATTER, AND MARCH TO 
WARRENTON AND CATLETT's STATION — ARTILLERY ENGAGE- 
MENT — RECROSSING OF THE RAPPAHANNOCK — FIGHTS AT 
WATERLOO BRIDGE — MARCH TO SALEM AND BRISTOW STA- 
TION — CAPTURE OF THE LARGE FEDERAL SUPPLY-DEPOTS 
— FIGHT AT MANASSAS PLAINS — FIGHTS PRELIMINARY TO 
THE SECOND BATTLE OF MANASSAS — SECOND GREAT BAT- 
TLE OF MANASSAS, OR BATTLE OF GROVETON — FROM THE 
SECOND BATTLE OF MANASSAS TO THE INVASION OF MARY- 
LAND. 

AVhen tlie train wliich we were to take for Gordons- 
ville reached the Hanover Court-house Station on the 
afternoon of the 16th August, our horses having been 
already safely placed in a stock-car awaiting its ar- 
rival, it was so densely crowded with troops, many of 
them lying stretched out on the tops of the carriages, 
that the General and Staff, not wishing to deprive 
any of these brave fellows of their seats, determined 
to ride on the tender of the locomotive, where, in the 
best possible spirits, we made ourselves as comfort- 
able as the circumstances of the case would allow. 
There is a feeling of great buoyancy in the breast of 
the soldier when, after a period of unusual inactivity, 
he goes forward again to the field — one seems to one's 
self so strong, and looks so gaily forward to the com- 
ing campaign. Too much occupied with the future 
to indulge in reveries of the past, or regrets for happy 
hours " departed never to return," we filled up the 
time with talk and song as we rolled rapidly through 
the beautiful country, of which, by reason of the thick 
clouds of smoke that enveloped us, we could catch 
only occasional glimpses. We arrived at Gordons- 



ARRIVAL AT HEADQUARTERS. 71 

ville just at daybreak. When tlie morning light grew 
strong enough to enable us to see each other, we 
broke out at the same moment into a hearty roar of 
laughter, for it revealed faces as black as Ethiopia. 
The engine had been covering us with soot from the 
time we left Hanover Court-house, and it required 
many ablutions to restore the natural colour of our 
skins. After an hour's delay thus employed, and 
partaking of a light breakfast, we proceeded by spe- 
cial train to Orange Court-house, where we brought 
up at eleven o'clock in the morning. 

We now mounted our horses and rode through the 
numerous encampments of our army to the head- 
quarters of General Eobert E. Lee, where we tarried 
an hour, and then proceeded to the camp of Jackson, 
a few miles off, which v/e reached about three p.m., 
just in time for dinner. The great Stonewall gave 
but little thought to the comforts of life, but he was 
so much the pet of the people that all the planters 
and farmers in whose neighbourhood he erected his 
simple tent, vied with each other in supplying him 
abundantly with the delicacies of the table ; and 
accordingly we found an excellent dinner set out, to 
which we did full justice. Immediately after rising 
from the repast. General Stuart despatched Captain 
Eitzhugh and Lieutenant Dabney of his Staff to the 
little village of Verdiersville, where he expected the 
arrival of Eitz Lee's brigade, and desired me to accom- 
pany himself on a little reconnaissance to Clark's 
Mountain, where we had erected a signal-station, 
from which, it was said, there was a wide view of the 
plains of Culpepper, dotted over with the encamp- 
ments of the Federal army. On our way we met one 
of our scouts, Mosby, who had acted as courier to 
General Stuart, and who subsequently so greatly dis- 
tinguished himself in the guerilla warfare he con- 
ducted. Knowing him well acquainted with the 
position of the enemy, the General ordered him to 
ride with us. The view from the summit of Clark's 



72 VIEW FKOM THE HEIGHTS. 

Mountain is indeed magnificent. On the right the 
eye ranges over the dark green of the immense forests 
which line the borders of the Kappahannock and 
Kapidan rivers for many miles, while in front stretches 
the vast fertile valley of Culpepper, engirdled in the 
remote landscape by the Blue Eidge, whose mountain- 
tops, thickly wooded, afforded, in their dark-blue tint 
as we saw them, a lovely contrast with the splendour 
of the evening sky. There were abundant signs of 
active military life in this valley. Many thousands 
of tents were to be seen, the thin blue smoke of their 
camp-fires rising straight up in the still air ; regiments 
of infantry were marching and counter - marching 
in various directions, and long waggon-trains were 
moving along the distant roads, escorted by cavalry 
detachments with gay pennons and guidons. From 
every indication we were convinced, as we set out on 
our return, that the enemy was preparing a general 
movement, probably a retrograde one; and this proved 
to be the fact. 

18^/i August. — It was late in the night when we 
reached the little village of Verdiersville, finding 
there Fitzhugh and Dabney, who reported, to General 
Stuart's great surprise, that our cavalry had not as 
yet arrived. Captain Eitzhugh was sent immediately 
in search of it, while the rest of us bivouacked in the 
little garden of the first farmhouse on the right of 
the village. Being so far outside of our lines we did 
not unsaddle, taking off only our blankets ; and, for 
myself, I observed the precaution of lying down with 
my weapons, which made Lieutenant Dabney ask 
me why I would persist in making myself so uncom- 
fortable ; but he had reason to regret that he had not 
the prudence to profit by my example. We slept 
little during the night, and were awake with the 
dawn. About four a.m. we heard the heavy tramp- 
ling of a long column of cavalry and the rumbling of 
artillery, and saw through the mist of the morning a 
strong body of horsemen crossing the road which led 



A EACE FOR LIFE. 73 

through the village, about 400 yards distant from us. 
General Stuart, confidently believing that this was 
Fitz Lee's brigade, sent Mosby and the only other 
courier we had with us to order the command to halt, 
and inform the commanding officer that he wished to 
see him immediately. A few seconds later we heard 
pistol-shots in rapid succession, and saw our two 
men coming towards us at a full run, a whole squad- 
ron of the enemy in close pursuit. I stood close 
to the General, handing him his blankets, as the 
Yankees, not more than a liundred and fifty yards 
from us, came rattling along. Stuart, without hat or 
haversack, jumped into the saddle, and, lifting his 
animal lightly and cleverly over the garden enclo- 
sure, gained the open field ; after him Dabney, leav- 
ing behind him his sword and pistols. I had to run 
about fifteen steps to the place where my horse was 
tied to the fence, and reaching it, I unfastened the 
bridle, but had no time to throw the reins over his 
head. The animal became excited, and reared and 
plunged fearfully, and I was obliged to vault upon 
his back without the rein — a feat which I safely 
accomplished, and afterwards succeeded in forcing 
him through the garden gate, which was opportunely 
held open for me by the old lady of the house. Here 
I came directly upon the major who commanded the 
detachment, who placed his revolver at my breast 
and demanded my surrender; but before he or his 
men could divine my intentions, by a smart slap on 
my horse's head I turned it in the right direction, and, 
putting the spurs deep into his flanks, I extricated 
myself by a tremendous flying leap from the hostile 
circle which was rapidly drawing closer and closer 
around me. A shower of carbine and pistol bullets 
followed my retreating figure, and the Yankees, en- 
raged by the trick I had played them, dashed after 
me in hot and furious pursuit. The greater number 
of my pursuers I soon left far behind me, thanks to 
the speed of my noble black charger ; but a few, and 



74 CAPTUEE OF STUARTS HAT. 

the major foremost among them, were still close upoii 
me. The latter discharged at me three barrels of his 
revolver, one of the bullets passing through my uni- 
form without scratching the skin. After a race of 
nearly a mile the Yankees gave np the game, and I 
was able to get hold of my bridle, having been until 
then, so far as all management of my horse was con- 
cerned, in a perfectly helpless condition. Captain 
Fitzhugh, who had been taken prisoner by the same 
troops the previous night while on his way to look 
after Titz Lee's brigade, and who, having given his 
parole, had been allowed to witness the whole affair, 
told me afterwards that he could not understand how 
I ever made my escape, and that at every shot fired 
by the major he had shut his eyes so that he might 
not see me fall. 

Soon after getting clear of my pursuers I was 
joined by Mosby, and we rode back some distance 
to see what had become of our companions. We 
soon found the General bareheaded, looking at the 
disappearing column of the enemy, who were carry- 
ing oft' in triumph his beautiful hat, the present of 
a lady in Baltimore, and his haversack, containing 
some important maps and documents. Dabney made 
a sorry appearance as he came up without his arms, 
and I could not help maliciously asking him if he felt 
quite comfortable now. Stuart covered his head 
with his handkerchief as a protection against the 
sun, and we could not look at each other, despite our 
heat and indignation, without laughing heartily at 
the figures we respectively cut. The driver of a 
sutler's waggon belonging to a Georgia regiment 
whom we fell in with on our return, happily supplied 
General Stuart with a new hat ; but the tidings of 
our mishap and adventure had spread like lightning 
through ihe whole army, and excited a great sensa- 
tion. AVherever we passed an encampment on our 
way, the troops cheered us, and vociferously inquired 
of General Stuart what had become of his hat ? 



PASSAGE OF THE KAPIDAK 75 

Fitz Lee's brigade, which had been detained by 
bad roads and a misconception of orders, did not 
join us until late that night, when Eobertson's 
brigade also arrived on the Eapidan. Hampton's 
command had been left behind on the lines of the 
Chickahominy on picket duty. It was a great satis- 
faction to be with our troops again, and to be assured 
that an opportunity would soon be afforded us of 
paying off the Yankees for their recent attentions to 
us. On the morning of the 19th we marched with 
General Fitz Lee's brigade towards the Eapidan, 
where Eobertson's command had encamped. There 
we bivouacked, and made our preparations for the 
fight which would in all probability take place on 
the following day. The army of General Pope had 
retreated, in accordance with our expectations, for a 
considerable distance, and taken a new position on 
the north side of the Eappahannock, leaving a large 
body of cavalry on our side of the river, in the 
neighbourhood of Brandy Station, on the Orange and 
Alexandria Eailroad. This force we had orders to 
drive off. 

20th August. — At daybreak, with two brigades, we 
crossed the Eapidan. The passage was attended with 
difficulty, especially with the artillery, on account of 
the depth of the water. Lee's brigade was sent to 
the right, in the direction of Kelly's Ford ; Gen- 
eral Stuart and Staff marched with Eobertson's 
brigade in the direction of Stevensburg, about one 
mile from Brandy Station, and both commands were 
to unite near the latter place. Our advance-guard 
came first in contact with the enemy, who, broken 
by the attack, fled in great confusion, and were pur- 
sued through the little village and more than a mile 
beyond it. The joy of the inhabitants, who for a 
long time had seen none but Federal soldiers, and 
who had been very badly treated by them, cannot be 
described. Men, women, and children came running 
out of all the houses towards us with loud exclama- 



76 THE ENEMY AGAIN KEPULSED. 

tions of delight, many thanking God on their knees 
for their deliverance from the enemy. A venerable 
old lady asked permission to kiss our hattle-flag, 
which had been borne throughout so many victorious 
fights, and blessed it with tears. The enthusiasm 
was so great that old men and boys, all that were 
•able to carry a gun, in spite of our earnest remon- 
strances, followed our column to join in the fight 
with the detested Yankees. 

The enemy, strongly reinforced, had now taken 
position about two miles from Stevensburg, on the 
outskirts of an extensive wood. Several small de- 
tachments had been pushed nearer towards us, and 
were patrolling on our flanks. One of these, in 
strength about half a squadron, mounted on grey 
horses, operated with great dash ; but, advancing 
imprudently, was cut off by a body of our men, who 
fell upon them like a thunderbolt, killing and taking 
prisoners all but six, who saved themselves by the 
fleetness of their horses. The Federals dismounted 
many of their cavalrymen ; and their line of sharp- 
shooters, about a mile in length, poured upon us 
from the dense undergrowth a hea"\y fire, wounding 
several of our men and horses. This checked for a 
time our onward movement ; but a large number of 
our troops, having been also dismounted,, engaged 
the Federal tirailleurs with great gallantry, and we 
then charged with the main body upon the enemy's 
centre, and quickly drove them from their position. 
In the melee I captured a very good horse, which 
was unfortunately wounded very soon afterwards; 
but I took from it an excellent saddle and bridle 
that had belonged to an officer. 

The enemy's retreat was now so rapid it was diffi- 
cult to keep up with them, so that General Stuart, 
in order not to exhaust all our horses, took only one 
regiment, the 7th, in the pursuit with him, giving 
orders to the rest to follow at an easy trot. We 
were not long in reaching the heights near Brandy 



GREAT CAVALRY-FIGHT.- 77 

Station, from which we saw the Federal r.avalry in 
line of battle in the large open plain before it They 
were about 3500 strong, and, being drawn np in 
beautiful order, presented, with their arms glittering 
in the sun and their waving battle-flags, a splendid 
spectacle. Our brave fellows of the 7th were im- 
mediately placed to confront them, and the sharp- 
shooters of both parties were soon engaged in a brisk 
skirmish. With great impatience and anxiety we 
now waited the arrival of our reserves, and courier 
after courier was sent to hurry them to the spot. 
As even our colour-sergeant had to perform orderly 
duty, I took the battle-flag from his hands. This 
act attracted the attention of the enemy's sharp- 
shooters at a distance of 800 yards, and they kept 
up, from that remote point, for some time, a surpris- 
ingly well-directed fire at me, one of their bullets 
cutting a. new rent in the glorious old ensign. 

The enemy now commenced his serious attack, 
and as our position, by reason of his vastly superior 
numbers, was a precarious one. General Stuart, 
taking the standard himself, ordered me to gallop 
in haste to our reserves, assume myself the com- 
mand, and bring them up as fast as the horses could 
run. After a short, sharp ride, I reached the regi- 
ments, and with a loud voice commanded them, in 
the name of their General, to move forward at a 
gallop. As I was well known to every man in the 
division, the order was at once obeyed, and in a few 
minutes I arrived with the column at the spot where 
General Stuart awaited us with the greatest solici- 
tude, just in time to form hurriedly our lines and 
dash onward with the wild Virginia yell to the 
rescue of the 7th. Occupying the place of honour 
in front of the regiments, I shared to the full extent 
the excitement of the onset. The enemy, as usual, 
received us with a rattling volley, which emptied 
several saddles ; but a few seconds more and we 
were in the midst of them, and their beautiful lines, 



78 THE ENEMY FINALLY DEFEATED. 

which wft had so much aidmired, had broken into 
flight. I had the satisfaction here of saving my 
life by a magnificent blow upon one of my antago- 
nists, who, at the very moment of firing at me, 
received my full right-cut on the lower part of the 
neck, severing his head nearly from his body. 

During the confusion of the mel^e, 1 discovered 
suddenly that a fresh squadron of the enemy was 
attacking us on the right flank, a manoeuvre which, 
in the disorder inevitable after a charge, might have 
turned out disastrously for us ; and, collecting about 
eighty of our men around me, I threw myself with 
this comparatively smaU force upon them. They 
at once slackened their pace, and when we had got 
within forty yards of them, halted, and received us 
with a volley which had very little effect. Upon 
this they fled precipitately, and were chased by us 
into the woods, where many of them were cut down 
and made prisoners. The main body of the enemy 
meanwhile had rallied several times, but again and 
again they had to yield before our impetuous ad- 
vance, until the last of them were driven through 
the waves of the Eappahannock, where their infantry 
and artillery, strongly posted on the farther bank, 
offered them protection, leaving behind many of 
their dead and wounded and several hundred 
prisoners. 

I had a happy feeling when riding out of the 
battle and wiping the blood from my sword on my 
horse's mane. I was complimented by General 
Stuart most warmly for my behaviour, and to this 
day it is to me one of the most exciting recollections 
of the war. The whole had been a genuine cavalry- 
fight, with sabres crossing and single combat — in- 
cidents that very rarely occur in modern warfare — 
reminding me very much of the battle-pieces of the 
Dutch painter Wouvermans. The Yankees gave a 
most amusing description of me in their newspapers. 
In their accounts of the fight it was stated that the 



YANKEE PICTUEE OF THE AUTHOR. 79 

rebels in their charge had been led on by a giant, 
mounted on a tremendous horse, and brandishing 
wildly over his head a sword as long and big as a 
fence-rail, who had made a terrible impression on 
their troops. Fitz Lee did not arrive with his bri- 
gade on the battle-field until five o'clock in the 
afternoon, having himself had a hard encounter with 
a strong force of the enemy, which he had succeeded 
in driving back, taking many prisoners. The rest 
of the day we were busy in burying the dead and 
taking care of the wounded. I occupied myself 
chiefly with nursing Captain Eedmond Burke of 
our Staff, who, while charging gallantly by my side, 
had received a bullet in the leg. We bivouacked 
on the battle-field, which is now a desert where the 
bones of men and animals are bleaching on every 
hand. Many fights afterwards took place on the 
same ground, and the place is historic. Future 
generations of Virginians, as they pick up rusted 
bits of shell, and bullets, and fragments of broken 
weapons, with which the whole field has been so 
often strewn, will recall with pride the noble deeds 
done by their fathers in the battles at Brandy 
Station. 

21st August. — During the night and early in the 
morning a large party of our army had arrived in 
the vicinity of Brandy Station, and soon after day- 
light the boom of artillery from Jackson's corps, 
which was in advance, announced to us that Old 
Stonewall was already at work. General Robert E. 
Lee had established his headquarters in a grove quite 
near us, and as we could get nothing for breakfast, 
we gladly accepted his invitation to share his own 
frugal meal, which consisted of rye coff"ee, bread, and 
wild hone}^ Orders were now given us to proceed 
immediately to the front and co-operate with Jackson 
in the event of any further extensive operations being 
attempted. The firing of the morning we soon found 
to have been nothing more than an artillery duel 



80 EFFECTS OF ARTILLEKY-FIRE. 

between some of Jackson's guns and the Federal 
batteries, from wliich the latter withdrew after one of 
their caissons had been exploded. Some infantry 
and cavalry, which had been posted on the opposite 
bank of the river, having also disappeared, we re- 
ceived orders to cross the Eappahannock, with two 
regiments of horse and a section of rifle pieces, and 
reconnoitre the enemy's position. As the road we 
had to take was tortuous, leading through several 
ravines up the hilly country on the mother side of 
Cunningham's Ford, and thus afl'ording the enemy a 
good opportunity for ambush, I was ^ent ahead with 
sixty of our men, to gain the heights as quickly as 
possible, and select without delay a favourable posi- 
tion for our guns. This we found readil^ enough, on 
a commanding hill in the midst of a corn-field, as we 
met with no resistance, and saw only a few squads 
of cavalry afar off. Riding over the ground where 
the enemy's batteries had recently been placed, I was 
surprised at the evidences it presented of the tremen- 
dous efi'ects of Jackson's artillery. The spot where 
the caisson had been blown up was covered with dead 
and wounded men, and muskets and all sorts of 
equipments lay around, which had been thrown away 
by the supporting force. As this liad consisted of 
new levies, the men had been demoralised by our 
well-directed fire, and fled in utter stampede upon 
the explosion of an ammunition-chest in the very 
midst of them. Among other things, I captured here 
one of the enemy's large regimental drums, which I 
presented to one of Jackson's regiments, to the delight 
of every man in it. 

Scarcely had our rifle pieces been put in position, 
when there came in sight a considerable force of the 
enemy's cavalry, which was held in check only by 
the accurate aim and rapid service of our gunners, 
and the bold advance of the 5th Virginia Cavalry 
under Colonel Rosser on our left. We very soon 
discovered, however, that just now the enemy was 



MY VIRGINIAN CHARGER. 81 

disinclined to allow any further proceedings on our 
part. Several batteries from different points opened 
upon us, and a large body of infantry made its ap- 
pearance, throwing forward at double-quick two lines 
of skirmishers in excellent order. The command was 
at once given for us to retire ; and as Colonel Eosser's 
regiment, by reason of the enemy's rapid advance, 
had been placed in great danger of being cut off, I 
was sent to warn him of the peril of his position, 
leaving him |o get out of it as best he could. I 
reached Eosser in safety, but, to rejoin General 
Stuart without loss of time, I was compelled to ride 
back along the same line, upon which the enem; 's 
skirmishers had been pushing closer and closer, itud 
where agai& shot after shot was fired at me. It is 
not a pleasant experience to serve, for so long a dis- 
tance, as a target for practised marksmen, and to 
count the chances, with every lope of one's horse, of 
getting safely past them. The last eight or ten of 
these tirailleurs were not more than eighty or a hun- 
dred yards distant from my path, and I could dis- 
tinctly hear the officer calling out to his men to take 
a quiet aim and bring that impudent rebel officer 
down. But they missed me, and the tall stalks of a 
neighbouring corn-field soon concealed me for a time 
from their view^ My troubles, however, were not 
yet over. On getting in sight of the ford, I discovered 
it to be already occupied by the Yankee cavalry, who 
immediately observed me, and started in pursuit. 
The sharpshooters being now also again on my track, 
firing incessantly, and yelling like bloodhounds, I 
had but one way left; so, urging my horse* some 
distance higher up the river, and forcing him to a 
tremendous leap from the high bank into the deep 

* This was the same charger which saved me at Verdiersville 
by his fleetness, an excellent coal-black Virginia horse, of medium 
size, well-bred and strongly built, but one of the fleetest and 
best jumping horses I ever rode. I could fire from his back as 
accurately as on foot, and the animal seemed to understand per- 



62 AGAIN IN ADVANCE. 

stream, I crossed it swimming, the Yankee bullets 
like hailstones slashing the water all around me. I 
was received with great enthusiasm and loud cheer- 
ing by our own men, who had witnessed the whole 
scene, full of anxiety for my fate. Eosser also reached 
us safely with his command some hours later, but he 
had been obliged to cut his way through, with the 
loss of several of his men and two of his officers. 

A heavy cannonade was kept up for the remainder 
of the day by the enemy's batteries, which took posi- 
tion on the opposite bank of the river, and were 
answered with spirit by Jackson's guns, but little 
damage was done on either side. The Yankees em- 
ployed here a shell which, being closed by a peculiar 
screw, made in its flight a most extraordinary noise, 
very like the high notes of the mocking-bird. This 
excited the lively merriment of our careless fellows, 
who greeted every one of these melodious missiles 
with a loud piping imitation from one wing of our 
army to the other. 

2'2d August. — The darkness of the night had not 
yet given way to dawn, when we again set out for 
active operations, with portions of Fitz Lee's and 
Kobertson's brigades and our horse-artillery, number- 
ing about 2000 men. A strong demonstration was 
to be made in the direction of Wellford's Ford on 
the Kappahannock, to divert tlie attention of the 
Federals, and facilitate the daring raid we were after- 
wards to undertake. Accordingly, we marched about 
five miles northward, crossed the Hazel river, a tri- 
butary of the Eappahannock, and arrived about eight 
o'clock at Wellford's Ford, where the opposite banks 
of the latter stream were occupied by the Yankees in 
great numbers. The enemy's artillery was soon en- 



fectly liis master's intentions, so that whenever I raised my re- 
volver, my faithful black, however excited he might have been 
the moment before, stood as quiet as possible, one fore-foot raised 
from the groimd, scarcely breathing until the shot had been fired, 
and then bounding forward with all his native animation. 



IN EEAR OF THE ENEMY. 83 

gaged in a brisk duel with our two batteries of horse- 
artillery, which suffered severely, losing many men 
and horses, in consequence of the superior positions 
and greater weight of metal of their antagonists. 
About ten o'clock we were relieved by Jackson's 
batteries, and, withdrawing from the field without 
the knowledge of the enemy, proceeded in rapid trot 
eight miles higher up the river to Waterloo Bridge, 
where we crossed it, and continued our march to 
Warrenton. Late in the evening we entered this 
little town, and were received with the liveliest de- 
monstrations of joy by the inhabitants. 

We were now again exactly in the rear of the 
Federal army, the right wing of which we had 
marched round; and our bold design was nothing 
less than to capture the Commander-in-Chief and 
his headquarters, which, as our scouts reported, had 
been established at Catlett's Station, a point on the 
Orange and Alexandria Eailroad. After an hour's 
rest to feed our horses, we left Warrenton behind us, 
continuing our march with great caution*. Night 
was now rapidly approaching, and the angry clouds, 
which had been gathering in the sky throughout the 
afternoon, soon burst upon us in a tremendous thun- 
derstorm and the heaviest rain I ever witnessed. 
The narrow roads became in a short time running 
streams of water, and the little creeks on our route 
foamed and raged like mountain torrents. But this 
was the very condition of the elements we could 
most have desired. The enemy's pickets, in the fury 
of the storm, indifferent to everything but their own 
personal comfort, were picked up, one after another, 
by our advanced-guard to the last man, and we had 
thus arrived within the immediate neighbourhood of 
the main body of the enemy without the least infor- 
mation on their part of our approach. 

Having been sent back by General Stuart with 
some orders to the rear of our column, I had, on my 
return, a very amusing adventure. In passing one 



84 CAPTURE A PRtsONEE. 

of the farmhouses on the road, my sharp eye dis- 
covered, behind the curtains of one of the windows, 
a Federal officer, who disappeared on my approach. 
Instantly dismounting, I knocked at the door, order- 
ing it to be opened at once ; but instead of this, I 
heard tables and chairs moved hurriedly against it, 
which so much provoked me that I threw my whole 
weight upon the light frame. The door gave way 
with a loud crash, and hurled my Yankee, with all his 
chair-and-table fortifications, over upon the floor of 
the little parlour. Before 1 could lay hands upon 
the poor fellow — who, being unarmed, and seeing 
himself at the mercy of so powerful-looking an ad- 
versary, had risen from his humiliating position with 
the drollest expression of extreme terror on his face — 
a very pretty young woman came out of the adjoining 
room, bearing a w^aiter in her hands with a bottle of 
wine and other refreshments, which she offered me 
in the most graceful manner possible, placing herself 
at the same time between me and my victim. Tac- 
tics like these were so novel to me that for a moment 
I quite lost my self-possession; but, very soon re- 
covering my wits, I thanked her politely for her hos- 
pitality, which I should be very ready to accept after 
I had done my duty. But approaching again and 
again my prisoner, I encountered again and again 
this charming obstacle, so that we played for a good 
while the juvenile game of fox-and-goose. The 
scene of action had in the mean time shifted towards 
a broad door-like window, which opened upon the 
garden side, and from the gathering darkness, and its 
proximity to the surrounding forest, afforded a very 
fair opportunity of escape ; so seeing no other way of 
bringing the interview to a satisfactory conclusion, I 
levelled my pistol at the officer's breast, and said, 
"Madam, if you cannot bear separation from the 
enemy of your country, I will leave him T\dth you, 
but not alive." This had the desired effect. The 
fair creature abandoned her position, and in the 



A SUCCESSFUL SUEPEISE. 85 

midst of her bitter tears and pathetic appealings, 
which my sense of duty alone enabled me to resist, 
I bore my prisoner off. He was a handsome young 
man, a lieutenant in an infantry regiment, and had 
contracted an engagement of marriage with his pro- 
tectress before the war commenced. 

The rain was still pouring in torrents at eleven 
P.M., when we came directly upon the Federal en- 
campment, which extended about a mile in length 
on either side of the railroad. We halted at the dis- 
tance of about two hundred yards to form our long 
lines and make our dispositions, which we accom- 
plished without attracting the notice of our adver- 
saries in the heavy rain and amid the incessantly- 
rolling thunder. The sound of a single trumpet was 
the signal for nearly 2000 horsemen to dash, as they 
did with loud shouts, upon the utterly paralysed 
Yankees, who were cut down and made prisoners 
before they had recovered from their first astonish- 
ment. I myself had instructions to proceed with a 
select body of men to General Pope's tent, which 
was pointed out to us by a negro whom we had 
captured during the day, and who had be% "im- 
pressed" by one of Pope's staiF-officers as a ser- 
vant. Unfortunately for us, the Commander-in-Chief 
had, for once, this day his ''headquarters in the 
saddle" — an intention which he had so boastfully 
announced at the commencement of his campaign — 
and had started a few hours before our arrival on a 
reconnaissance, so that we found only his private 
baggage, official papers, horses, &c. &c. I obtained 
as booty a magnificent field-glass, which was after- 
wards of great service to me. The scene had become 
in the mean time a most exciting one, and the con- 
fusion, which is always the consequence of a night 
attack, had reached its highest point. The Federal 
troops on the other side of the railroad, which was 
not so easily accessible, had recovered from their 
panic, and, reinforced by some companies of the 



86 A DANGEEOUS FEAT. 

so-called Biicktail Eifles, commenced a vigorous fire 
upon our men, who were scattered all over the field 
burning and plundering to their hearts' content. In 
the background our reserves were actively employed 
in firing the immense depots and waggon-trains and 
the railway bridge; and the flames, rising from a 
hundred different points at once, reddened the dark 
cloudy night. It was difficult to recognise friend or 
foe. Shots fell in every direction — bullets whizzed 
through the air on all sides — no one knew where to 
strike a blow or where to level his revolver — no one 
could be certain whether the man riding at his elbow 
was Federal or Confederate. 

Having received orders from General Stuart to cut 
the telegraph wire, I proceeded with twenty men to 
the execution of this purpose; but just as we had 
reached a pole, I saw suddenly, by the vivid illumi- 
nation of a flash of lightning, a whole company of 
the enemy drawn up in line not fifteen steps from 
us ; and I had just time to call out to my men to lie 
down, when a rattling volley sent a shower of bullets 
over our heads. I galloped back to the General ask- 
ing for a squadron to assist me in carrying out his 
orders. The squadron was immediately granted. 
Attacking the Federal infantry myself in front, 
while Colonel Eosser took them in flank, we suc- 
ceeded in driving them farther back. But they still 
maintained a rapid fusillade, and to climb the pole 
and cut the wire was a very dangerous undertaking. 
A young fellow of not more than seventeen volun- 
teered to perform the daring feat, and, using my 
shoulders as a starting-point, he ran up the pole 
with the agility of a squirrel ; the wire, severed by 
a stroke of his sabre, was soon dangling to the 
ground ; and the brave boy escaped unhurt, several 
bullets, however, having struck the pole during his 
occupation of it. 

About three o'clock in the morning the work of 
destruction at Catlett's Station was complete, and the 



SUCCESS OF OUR UMD. 87 

order was given to re-form and start upon our re- 
turn. The alarm had been spread over a great part 
of the Federal wing, and troops were marching 
against us from several directions. Our success, in 
spite of the great confusion of the midnight attack, 
had been very decided. We had killed and wounded 
a great number of the enemy ; captured 400 pris- 
oners, among whom were several officers, and more 
than 500 horses ; destroyed several hundred tents, 
large supply-depots, and long waggon-trains ; se- 
cured, in the possession of the Quartermaster of 
General Pope, 500,000 dollars in greenbacks, and 
20,000 in gold ; and, most important of all, had 
deprived the Federal Commander of all his bag- 
gage and private and official papers, exposing to us 
the effective strength of his army, the disposition of 
his different co7ys dJarm^e, and the plans of his whole 
campaign. Our loss was comparatively small ; and 
after a rapid march, impeded only by the deluge of 
water still pouring down upon us, and compelling us 
to swim several creeks which were ordinarily but a 
few inches in depth, we reached Warrenton, with all 
our prisoners and booty, at eight o'clock the follow- 
ing morning. 

We had but a few minutes' rest in the little town 
of Warrenton, when our rear-guard reported a strong 
force in pursuit of us, and a heavy cannonade from 
the direction of Jackson's position summoned us to 
move on. These few minutes, however, we employed 
to advantage. Wet by the rain of twelve hours, and 
chilled by the sharp air of the morning, we found 
grateful reinvigoration in the viands that were offered 
us by the kind citizens of the place, who heard with 
the greatest delight of the success of our expedition. 
I was enjoying some delicious coffee, served by the fair 
hands of a lovely and accomplished young girl, whose 
acquaintance I had made the previous day, when, 
hearing that we had taken Pope's Quartermaster, she 
laughed heartily, and told us that when he had been 



88 A LOST WAGER. 

quartered at her father's house a few days before, he 
had, in boasting of the magnificent army of Pope, 
declared his intention of entering Eichmond before 
the end of the month, and that she had made him a 
bet of a bottle of champagne that he would not. She 
now regarded her wager as lost, as the Quartermaster 
would doubtless enter Eichmond before the time 
specified — earlier, indeed, but under other circum- 
stances, than he had expected — and she begged me 
to obtain permission from General Stuart to pay the 
champagne. General Stuart, of course, readily ac- 
ceded to the playful request; and as our column 
passed along she stood at the garden gate of her home, 
with a malicious smile on her face and the bottle in 
her hand, and paid her wager most gracefully to the 
Yankee Quartermaster, who took the joke very well 
and the champagne very willingly, declaring that lie 
should always be happy to drink the health of so 
charming a person. 

22>d to 26th August. — We were soon out of sight of 
Warrenton. The glowing radiance of the sun break- 
ing at last through the parting clouds brought life and 
cheer to our drenched and chilled column. About 
twelve o'clock we reached the scene of action, where 
there had been only a hea\"y artillery-fight, and not, 
as we had supposed, a general engagement. Our 
pursuers having stopped at Warrenton, we had there- 
fore a short period of welcome inactivity, and the 
orders to dismount and feed the horses were received 
with pleasure by every man of our fatigued command. 
As soon as I had taken the proper care of my horse, , 
and emptied my long cavalry boots of several quarts -j 
of water they contained, I fell fast asleep in the shade 
of a gigantic hickory-tree, from which refreshing 
slumber I was suddenly aroused some hours later by 
a spirited cannonade. The enemy were advancing, 
and the guns of Eobertson's brigade had engaged a 
Federal battery. One of our squadrons, going for- 
ward to support the artillery, and being unneces- 



DEFENCE OF THE BRIDGE. 89 

sarily exposed by tlieir captain, suffered here severely 
by a single well-directed shell, which, bursting at the 
head of the column, killed and wounded fourteen 
men. The fighting ceased at night, and we encamped 
upon the ground occupied by us during the day. At 
daybreak on the 24th, the enemy still advancing in 
heavy force, we marched rapidly towards the Eappa- 
hannock, which we found much swollen, but which 
we crossed in safety at eight o'clock. 

General Stuart now galloped over to the head- 
quarters of General Eobert E. Lee, about five miles 
distant, and ordered me to proceed with the Staff and 
couriers to Waterloo Bridge, six miles higher up the 
river, near which a portion of our cavalry was to en- 
camp. This bridge was now the only one left which 
for a considerable tract of country afforded a passage 
across the Eappahannock, and its preservation was 
therefore of great importance to our future military 
operations. Just as I reached the bridge an orderly 
galloped up to me at full speed, reporting that a 
strong body of the enemy, consisting of infantry, cav- 
alry, and artillery, was rapidly advancing upon us, 
and was at that moment not more than a mile from 
the spot. The position of a senior staff-officer in the 
Confederate army was a very important and respon- 
sible one, and General Stuart had given me instruc- 
tions, in his absence, to issue any necessary com- 
mands in his name ; so I immediately despatched 
a courier to the commanding officer of the nearest 
regiment, the 7th Virginia Cavalry, with orders for 
him to proceed with all haste to the river, and post 
his men as dismounted sharpshooters on the woody 
cliffs on both sides of the bridge ; and galloping my- 
self after our artillery, which had marched some dis- 
tance to the rear, and taking back with me the first 
two pieces I fell in with, I arrived at the bridge just 
in time to receive the dense column of the approach- 
ing Federals with a destructive fire of canister from 
my light howitzers, which for a little while effectually 



90 DESPERATE CONFLICT FOR THE BRIDGE. 

checked their advance. It was not long, however, 
before they threw their skirmishers forward, and a 
brisk fusillade was rattling along the line. Their 
batteries also opened heavily npon ns, and were an- 
swered gallantly by my howitzers. Matters were pro- 
ceeding thus favourably when, about twelve o'clock, 
General Stuart, whom I had informed by an orderly 
of the state of affairs, arrived with reinforcements, 
expressing his great satisfaction with what had been 
done, and thanking me for having saved the bridge. 
The fight now became more and more general. The 
enemy brought several brigades of infantry into ac- 
tion, and opened upon us with several new batteries. 
In the mean time all the guns of our horse-artillery 
had arrived upon the ground, and were pouring their 
deadly missiles into the Federal ranks. Twice did 
the Yankees succeed in setting fire to the bridge with 
incendiary shell, but the flames were instantly extin- 
guished by our gallant men. Several times their 
storming columns, advancing at a double-quick, got 
nearly across to our side of the river-; but again and 
again were they hurled back, leaving their dead and 
wounded behind them, by the well-directed fire of 
our sharpshooters and of our field-pieces, which were 
now concentrated upon the narrow path. The dark- 
ness of the night at last put an end to the conflict, 
and we found ourselves with small loss masters of the 
situation against vastly superior numbers. 

Early on the morning of the 25th the contest was 
renewed, and for several hours we had very hot work, 
until about eleven a.m. we were relieved by our 
infantry, and enabled to take some rest from our 
exhausting duties. During the afternoon I received 
from Fitz Lee's Quartermaster, Major Mason, as a 
mount for my negro servant William, an excellent 
grey mule, which was among our captures at Catlett's 
Station, and will often be mentioned in succeeding 
portions of this narrative. It will be recollected that 
some of the spolia opima of Catlett's Station were 



A FEMALE SOLDIER. 91 

greenbacks and gold. As tliese were contained in 
solid iron safes, of which the keys had been lost, it 
was not the easiest matter in the world to get at 
them. It was thought, however, a profitable employ- 
ment of our earliest leisure to investigate General 
Pope's sub-treasury, and our men had been hammer- 
ing away at the safes for some time without result, 
when General Stuart turned round to me and said, 
laughingly, " If nobody can open these strong boxes, 
we must call on Major Armstrong (a nickname he 
had given me) to assist us." Accepting the banter 
at once, I delivered a few heavy blows upon the safes 
with a serviceable axe, which laid them open, amid 
the loud cheers of our soldiers, who, with their 
accustomed idle curiosity, had formed a large circle 
round us. Two boxes of excellent cigars, which the 
Yankee Quartermaster had kept in this place of 
security, doubtless as the Cockney at the French 
custom-house expressed it, "pour fumigation lui- 
meme," fell to me as my share of the spoil — a great 
luxury indeed, to one who had long been deprived of 
the aromatic Havana weed. 

In the evening I was sent over to General Eobert E. 
Lee's headquarters to carry thither tlie captured de- 
spatches and papers ; and being invited by the General 
to partake of his modest supper, I had to relate many 
particulars of our recent raid, to which he listened 
with great interest. There was a good deal of merri- 
ment among the young staff-officers at headquarters 
concerning one of our Catlett's Station prisoners, 
whom I had taken over with me under charge of a 
courier for further instructions — and who, just as we 
were sending off the main body of these prisoners to 
Eichmond, had been discovered to be a good-looking 
woman in full Federal uniform. In order that she 
might follow to the field her warlike lord, she had 
enlisted as a private soldier in the same company 
with him, and now claimed to be excepted from the 
rest of the prisoners as a privilege of her sex. It 



92 AGAIN ON THE MAECH. 

was decided, however, that this modern Jeanne d'Arc 
must share the fate of her comrades for the present, 
and further decision in the case, was left to the Eich- 
mond authorities. The whole of Longstreet's corps 
had now been removed from Pdchmond to Culpepper, 
and occupied the line of the Eappahannock opposite 
the Federal army. Jackson's troops had been quietly 
withdrawn from the front, and his corps had been in 
motion during the whole of the afternoon, marching 
nobody but General Lee and his Lieutenant knew 
where. I also went back to General Stuart with 
marching orders for himself and the greater part of 
his cavalry. 

2Uh and 27th August. — The line of our march lay 
directly in the tracks of Jackson's troops, who, by 
the extraordinary rapidity of their movements, had 
gained the title of the " Foot-Cavalry " of the army, 
and who had now been taken by their great leader 
upon an expedition in flank of the enemy, which was 
brilliantly successful, and insured the failure of 
Pope's whole campaign. Our column consisted of 
nearly 6000 horse and our flying artillery. Starting 
at daybreak, we forded the Eappahannock near Hin- 
zen's Mill, eight miles above Waterloo Bridge, and 
proceeded with great caution all day through the 
extensive forests of the county of Fajighire, taking 
)iO\*>^.<- >'hy-paths in the woods, where we were often com- 
^ pelled to ride in single file. Passing near the little 
town of Orleans, we reached Salem late in the after- 
noon, where at last we overtook Jackson's corps, but 
where we did not tarry, pushing forward in advance 
to Gainesville, at which place we arrived after night- 
fall. Here a squadron was left behind on picket, 
and here I received orders from General Stuart, who 
had continued his march to Bristow Station, on the 
Orange and Alexandria Eailroad, to remain and keep 
open the communications between himself and Jack- 
son. At Gainesville we passed a most exciting and 
unsatisfactory night. As the day had been exces- 



ARRIVAL AT MANASSAS. 93 

sively liot, I had given orders to my men to unsaddle, 
that our weary horses might be refreshed ; and I had 
just taken the saddle off my own steed, when our 
pickets, who had been posted about a mile outside 
the village towards Centreville, came in at full gal- 
lop, reporting the enemy's cavalry in close pursuit of 
them. "We had barely time to get ready for action 
when the Yankee advance-guard came thundering 
along through the darkness of the night. They were 
received with a sharp fire from the revolvers of my- 
self and my staff of couriers ; but in a moment, sup- 
ported by our charging squadron, we threw ourselves 
ilpon them, driving them back in confusion, and 
taking several of their number prisoners. The enemy 
made no further effort to dislodge us ; but our pickets, 
excited by the suddenness of the first attack, rode in 
five or six times during the night with false alarms, 
which brought us into the saddle, and I hailed with 
great satisfaction the daylight, which relieved me 
from my anxiety. I now pushed rapidly forward to 
Bristow Station, which our cavalry had already left, 
after having accomplished their work of destruction. 
They had torn up the track of the railroad for a long 
distance, captured four trains and a considerable 
number of prisoners, and demolished everything tliat 
could be of the least value to the enemy. There 
was now no time to be lost by us. From the plains 
of Manassas, about seven miles distant, rolled the 
thunder of cannon, and I hurried on as fast as our 
horses^ould carry us, crossing the memorable stream 
of Bull Rvi^i, just in the neighbourhood where the 
first battle of the war had been fought, and reaching 
Manassas about nine o'-clock in the morning. 

The plateau of Manassas presents an area of about 
three miles square, over which the Yankees had built 
an irregular town of storehouses, barracks, huts, and 
tents, which was fortified on all sides by continuous 
redoubts. Here were collected stores and provisions, 
ammunition and equipments for an army of 100,000 



94 THE SPOILS CAnURED THEHE. 

men (besides an enormous quantity of luxuries un- 
known to warfare), the capture of which was a most 
important success to our arms. The sight that was 
presented to me at the moment of my arrival was 
truly a magnificent one. In front, rapidly advancing, 
were the long lines of our cavalry, their pennons flut- 
tering gaily in the morning air, and moving in com- 
pany with them miglit be seen the horse-artillery, 
from whose pieces, as well as from the guns we had 
captured in the redoubts and were now serving with 
admirable effect, dense clouds of white smoke were 
spread over the plain ; on the left Jackson's veteran 
columns were pushing forward at a double-quick, 
while in the distant view the blue masses of the 
enemy were in rapid fliglit towards the glimmering 
woods. I found General Stuart exceedingly delighted 
with his success. He had taken the troops guard- 
ing the place completely by surprise, capturing the 
greater part of them and twelve pieces of artillery in 
the redoubts without much fighting, and had just 
routed three brigades of infantry that had been sent 
from Alexandria as reinforcements. The enemy in 
their flight had left behind their dead and w^ounded 
and more than 1500 runaway negroes — men, w^omen, 
and children. The quantity of booty was very great,, 
and the amount of luxuries absolutely incredible. It 
w^as exceedingly amusing to see here a ragged fellow 
regaling himself with a box of pickled oysters or 
potted lobster ; there another cutting into a cheese of 
enormous size, or emptying a bottle of champagne ; 
while hundreds were engaged in opening the pack- 
ages of boots and shoes and other clothing, and fitting 
themselves with articles of apparel to replace their 
own tattered garments. The liquors, with a proper 
degree of precaution, were at once seized by the 
Quartermaster and placed under a strong guard, to 
avert the consequences of immoderate indulgence. 
There was a good deal of jealousy between Jackson's 
artillery and our ow^n with regard to the disposition 



CONTENTS OF A SUTLER S WAGGON. 95 

that was to be made of the captured horses. Among 
other prizes of this description we had taken a 
Yankee sutler's waggon — one of those large gaudily- 
painted vans drawn always by four excellent horses ; 
and General Stuart desired me to trot rapidly over 
with the waggon to our horse-artillery, assign the 
horses to the nearest battery, and dispose of the con- 
tents as I thought proper. It gave me great plea- 
sure, after I had changed the four stately bays into 
stout artillery-horses, to divide the plunder among 
our brave cannoneers, who soon collected round the 
waggon in large numbers, and received the contents 
with loud demonstrations of delight. The different 
boxes were speedily opened by my sword, and were 
found to contain shirts, hats, pocket-handkerchiefs, 
oranges, lemons, wines, cigars, and all sorts of knick- 
knacks. I helped myself only to two boxes of rega- 
lias, which I managed to tie securely to the pommel 
of my saddle. 

We were occupied throughout the day in collecting 
as much of the booty as we could carry off with us, 
and preparing the rest for destruction. During the 
afternoon we received reports that the Federal army 
was moving rapidly upon us from various points, and 
very soon Ewell's division, which formed Jackson's 
rear, was hotly engaged with their advance-guard. 
The main body of our infantry commenced now to 
march off quietly in the direction of Centreville, turn- 
ing afterwards towards the Stone Bridge and Sudley's 
Mill, while the cavalry remained on the plains to 
apply the torch to the captured property as soon as 
this might be necessary. All the storehouses and 
depots were filled with straw and hay, and combusti- 
bles were also placed in forty-six railway cars, which 
had been pushed closely together. The battle had in 
the mean time become fierce — the thunder of cannon 
and the roar of musketry rolling incessantly; but 
although the enemy in vastly superior numbers at- 
tacked us with vigour, and although the old hero 



96 DESTRUCTION OF CAPTUEED STORES. 

Ewell lost a leg in the conflict (a casualty which dis- 
abled him for a long time from again taking the 
field), they were wholly unable to break the lines of 
those veterans who had given their commander the 
name of Stonewall, and who held their ground until 
night put an end to the slaughter. Then they with- 
drew from their position and joined the main body of 
their corps. 

Just as the sun was disappearing behind the range 
of distant hills that formed the western horizon, the 
flames were rising from a hundred different points of 
the plain, bringing out vividly each one of a legion of 
dark figures which were moving about, in the midst 
of the conflagration, to assist in spreading the fire, 
and fanning it into fury wherever it languished. The 
glow reflected from all these burning buildings, tents, 
and railway cars, with the red glare from the mouths 
of the camion, and the sparkling of the bursting shells 
as seen against the darkening forest, made up a spec- 
tacle of strange mysterious splendour. After all that 
we wished to preserve had been secured, and all that 
we wished to destroy had been laid in ashes, we fol- 
lowed the route of our retreat towards Centreville. 
In the confusion of the moment, and the increasing 
darkness of the night, I had become separated, with 
several other members of the Staff* and a number of 
couriers, from General Stuart, with no hope of finding 
him until morning, so we bivouacked in a small pine 
grove in the neighbourhood of Centreville, which 
place had already been passed by the greater portion 
of our troops. 

28//i and 29th August. — At an early hour of the 
following day we set out to join General Stuart at 
Sudley's Mill, a place about eight miles north of 
Manassas, where Jackson's corps was drawn up in 
line of battle, expecting a fresh attack of the enemy, 
and where the prisoners taken during the last few 
days, about 1800 in number, were collected ; but the 
indefatigable Stuart had already started, at the time of 



IN CHASE OF GENERAL STUART. 97 

our arrival, with his cavalry upon a new enterprise in 
the enemy's rear, leaving orders for me to follow him 
to the village of Hay market. I pushed forward im- 
mediately with Lieutenant Dabney and two couriers, 
several of the other members of the Staff being obliged 
to remain behind on account of the weary condition 
of their horses, and soon discovered that the journey 
we had to perform was an exceedingly difficult one. 
Since General Stuart had left Sudley's Mills, several 
hours before our own departure from that place, the 
position of the hostile army had been a good deal 
changed, the left wing having shifted more to our 
right, and the cavalry patrols were crossing the 
country in every direction, so that at many points of 
our progress we were informed that bodies of Federal 
horse had passed along but a few minutes before our 
approach. About two o'clock in the afternoon there 
was a heavy cannonade and continuous musketry-fire 
heard in the direction of Jackson's position, announc- 
ing that the enemy had commenced their attack; 
but, at the same time, we heard a cannonade in the 
direction of Haymarket, and believing Stuart to be 
there at work, I regarded it as my duty to continue 
my march. Yery soon, however, we heard firing all 
around us, and I was convinced that we had been 
misled by the sound, and the great number of narrow 
unfrequented bridle-paths in the woods. As it was 
impossible to decide where we should find friend or foe, 
our situation became a very critical one. About dusk 
we discovered in a small opening before us a negro 
on horseback, who had no sooner seen us than he 
galloped off in hurried flight, but was overtaken after 
a short chase by one of our couriers. It was difficult 
to make him believe that we were not Yankees, and 
his delight was indescribable when at last he recog- 
nised us as friends. He told me that a squad of 
Federal cavalry was at that moment engaged in pil- 
laging his master's house, which he pointed out to us 
not more than three-quarters of a mile distant — that 
•*- G 



98 ABOUT TO CHAEGE OUR FEIENDS. 

he had saved himself on one of the horses in the 
stable — that the enemy were all around ns — and that 
Haymarket was occupied by them in strong force. 
Of Stuart and his cavalry the faithful negro had not 
seen or heard anything. Being perfectly at a loss, 
and nearly cut off from our army on all sides, I 
resolved to attempt returning by the same route we 
had come, and, protected by the darkness of the fast- 
coming night, to endeavour to rejoin Jackson's men. 
Silently we rode along the narrow lane for several 
hours, each one of us fully conscious of the danger of 
our situation, when suddenly the tramp of a body of 
horsemen sounded right in front of us — a scouting 
party, as we could scarcely doubt, of the Federal 
cavalry. I explained to my companions that there 
was no choice left but to cut our way through. Our 
plan hastily formed was this. The two couriers were 
to ride on either side of Dabney and myself, and to 
fire right and left with their revolvers, leaving us to 
open the way in the centre with our sabres. The 
advancing party having now arrived within twenty- 
five steps from us, I gave the customary order, " Halt ! 
one man forward ! " and, this being disregarded, the 
loud command, " Charge 1 " Just at this moment 
several voices cried out, " That is Major von Borcke ! 
halt, halt : we are friends ! " which at once checked 
our furious onset, and we found, to our great surprise 
and delight, and amid hearty laughter on all sides, 
that we had been on the eve of attacking the remain- 
ing part of General Stuart's Staff and escort, who had 
also been separated from the General, and, like our- 
selves, were in search of him. "We heard now that 
the way to Jackson, who had repulsed the enemy 
after a sanguinary conflict, was perfectly unobstruct- 
ed, and that one of our cavalry regiments, the 1st 
Virginia, was encamped a couple of miles farther to 
the rear. Thither we at once determined to ride, that 
we might refresh our weary horses, and seek rest for 
ourselves for the few remaining hours of the night. 



FRESH ATTACK BY THE ENEMY. 99 

We joined General Stuart early on tlie morning of 
the 29th at Sudley's Mill, where Jackson had estab- 
lished his headquarters in a building which was 
used, at the same time, as an hospital for several 
hundred of the wounded of the previous day's battle. 
Stuart was exceedingly amused at our story, and 
laughed very much at the adventure of the night 
before, confessing, however, that it was through his 
fault that I had become involved in the difficulty. 
At seven o'clock on the morning of the 29th the 
attack was renewed by General Pope, who tried his 
best to crush Jackson before Longstreet, who was 
rapidly approaching with his strong corps, could 
arrive. As old Stonewall had already gone to the 
front at the time of my arrival, I was sent to him by 
General Stuart to get orders for the disposition of 
the cavalry ; and to my question at starting, " Where 
shall I find General Jackson?" my chief replied, 
with a smile, "Where the fight is hottest." So I 
galloped forward over the battle-field, still strewn 
with the dead of yesterday's conflict, towards a point 
where twenty pieces of our artillery, concentrated 
into one battery, were hotly engaged with an equal 
number of Federal guns. Here I felt sure of finding 
Jackson himself The Yankee batteries were firing 
much too high, throwing their shot and shell in rapid 
succession upon a piece of soft swampy ground about 
a quarter of a mile beyond our position, over which 
I must ride if I did not choose to make a long cir- 
cuit around it. My horse had already been sinking 
several times a little in the bog, when suddenly the 
ground beneath him, which was covered with a 
treacherous surface of verdure, gave way entirely, 
and my brave bay sank till half his body was buried 
in the morass. I leaped from his back just in time 
to gain a secure footing myself, but every effort to 
extricate the animal was in vain. Meanwhile shells 
were plunging and bursting nearer and nearer to me, / 

throwing upon myself and horse a heavy shower of 

LOFC 



100 THE ENEMY IN OUR EEAR. 

mud and dirt, excited by which, and not a little in- 
sulted, the noble beast made renewed exertions to 
get free, each time sinking deeper and deeper in the 
mire. I had already decided to abandon my steed 
and execute my orders on foot, when a body of our 

, infantry marching by came very readily to my as- 
sistance, and, by dint of spades, ropes, and poles, 
managed to liberate the animal, which emerged from 
the bog perfectly black, and trembling in every limb, 
as I jumped again into the saddle. Without further 
accident I reached General Jackson, w^ho, looking at 
me with astonishment, said, wdth his quiet smile, 
" Major, where do you get your dye ? I could never 
have believed that a bay horse might be changed so 
quickly into a coal-black one." Then, upon my ex- 
plaining my mission, he gave me orders for Stuart, 
who was to operate with his cavalry on the right 
flank, and hold the enemy in. check until Longstreet 
could take his place. 

On my return to Sudley's Mill I found everything 
changed, and great excitement prevailing there. Two 
brigades of the enemy had suddenly appeared in our 
rear, just where our provision and ammunition trains 
had been stationed. General Stuart had only a small 
portion of his cavalry and one battery of his horse- 
' artillery at hand, but he was making every effort to 
save the trains, which w^ere of the first importance to 
our army. There w^as the greatest confusion possible 
among the waggon-drivers : many of whose teams 
were " hitched on," and were driving off at the top of 
their speed ; others had to be held back by main 
force to the performance of their duty, and made to 
put the horses to the waggons. All this time a rat- 
tling hail of the enemy's bullets was falling all 
around us. The quartermaster in charge of the 
trains, and many others, had already been killed. 
A little coolness and energy on the part of our com- 
mander, however, soon wrought a great improvement, 

. in the situation. Our sharpshooters were quickly 



DANGER OF THE POSITION. 101 

dismounted and placed behind a fence, where they 
received the enemy with a very well-directed fire ; 
while Pelham, who had come np at full gallop with 
his guns, threw from a favourable position such a 
deadly shower of grape and canister upon the ad- 
vancing lines of the foe, as brought them suddenly 
to a halt. 

Having been ordered to place the right wing of 
our sharpshooters, I was brought very conspicuously 
to the notice of the enemy as the only man on horse- 
back at this part of the field, and several bullets had 
already whistled past me in uncomfortable proximity 
to my person, when one of the Yankee marksmen 
sent a ball, to my infinite annoyance, crashing right 
through a box of regalia cigars which, it may be re- 
membered, I had tied to the pommel of my saddle as 
my part of the spoils of the sutler's waggon taken at 
Manassas Plains. I was just expressing my displea- 
sure in pretty round terms, and directing the atten- 
tion of some of our men to the impudent fellow who 
had fired the shot, when General Stuart rode up and 
directed me to ride in full haste back to Jackson, 
and make report of the state of affairs, and order, in 
his name, the first troops I should meet on the way 
to his immediate assistance. 

After a rapid gallop of a few minutes I met two 
brigades of A. P. Hill's division, which I ordered to 
proceed at a double-quick to the point of danger. 
Very soon I encountered General Hill himself, to 
whom I made the necessary explanations, and who 
at once proceeded in person to the threatened posi- 
tion. Meanwhile the cannonade had become fearful, 
more and more batteries had joined in the action, 
and from a hundred pieces of artillery the thunder 
of the battle roared along our lines. In the dense 
smoke that enveloped the field, and amid the burst- 
ing of innumerable shells, it was not easy to find 
General Jackson, whom I discovered at last sitting 
comfortably on a caisson, quietly writing his de- 



102 COOLNESS OF JACKSON. 

spatches. After I had ' made my report, I remarked 
to the General that it had been very difficult to find 
him, and that this was rather a hot place for him to 
be in. "My dear Major,'' he replied, "I am very 
much obliged to you for the orders you have given. 
Hill will take care of the enemy in our rear. I 
know what they are; there cannot be more than 
two brigades of them. And as for my position here, 
I believe we have been together in hotter places 
before." The great hero then calmly resumed his 
writing, cannon-shot ploughing up the ground all 
around him and coverinc^ his MS. with dust, so that, 
like one of Napoleon's generals under similar circum- 
stances, he was in no need of sand to dry up his ink. 
In the mean time the trains had been saved, and 
the bold Yankees that had attacked our rear had 
been driven back with fearful loss, leaving the 
greater part of their number prisoners in our hands. 

It was now about mid-day, and the engagement 
had become general. The Federal Commander-in- 
Chief again and again attempted to break Jackson's 
line, but again and again his forces had to recoil 
with wasted ranks from the Stone Wall in front 
of them. We were pressing slowly forward on our 
right, where our horse-artiUery, under the gallant 
Pelham, did excellent service. Our cavalry was 
also here actively employed, one regiment alone, 
the 5th Virginia, under Colonel Eosser, taking 500 
prisoners. Many of the enemy's wounded having 
fallen into our hands, we had erected a temporary 
hospital in a shady grove, near a cool clear spring, 
where several hundred of them had been received. 
It may have been that the enemy by accident fired 
too high, or they may have mistaken this group of 
men for a body of our troops, but suddenly a heavy 
fire was concentrated upon this point, and it was 
indeed a sickening sight to see shot after shot strike 
in among them, shell after shell explode over this 
dense mass of sufferers, who, with limbs shattered 



AKKIVAL OF EEINFORCEMENTS. 103 

or lacerated by ghastly wonnds, attempted to crawl 
out of the way, cursing their own friends for the 
agonies they had to endure. 

The enemy, finding that they could not dislodge 
us, did not renew their attack later than four o'clock 
in the afternoon, and at five the advance of Long- 
street's corps made its appearance, amid loud cheer- 
ing air along our lines. These troops took up their 
position in line of battle on Jackson's right wing as 
fast as they arrived, and before sundown the last 
division of the corps. Hood's Texans, had come up, 
forming the extreme right of Longstreet's line. Yet 
farther on was Stuart with a portion of his cavalry — 
Fitz Lee, with the larger part of his brigade, having 
been detailed to Jackson on the extreme left. Gen- 
eral Eobert E. Lee had also now arrived, and the 
men of our army, throughout its entire extent, were 
cheered by the confident belief that on the following 
day a great victory would be gained for our arms. 

Shortly before dusk we had yet a brisk little 
cannonade between some Federal batteries and a 
section of the famous Washington Artillery, which 
occupied a space intervening between Hood's Texans 
and our own position. While this was going on, a 
body of Federal cavalry impudently trotted over an 
open field quite within range of our guns, which 
opening opportunely upon them, a.nd dropping a shell 
or two that exploded directly among their ranks, the 
whole squadron scattered in every direction, amidst 
the derisive cheers of the gunners and all of our 
troops who witnessed their rapid disappearance. 
After nightfall the Texans became engaged in a very 
heavy skirmish, which sounded for some time like a 
general conflict, but which ended, without much loss 
on either side, in their driving the enemy from a 
small piece of ground in our front. Late in the 
night I was requested by General Stuart to bear him 
company in a little reconnaissance outside our lines, 
which came very near terminating disastrously, 



104 FORCES ON EITHER SIDE. 

as on our return, in the thick darkness, we were 
received with a sharp but fortunately ill-aimed fire 
from our own men. The rest of the night we slept 
by the side of our guns, and as we could not unsaddle 
our horses, I had nothing for a pillow but a cartridge- 
box which I had picked up on the ground. 

30^/i August. — The two great armies were now in 
full force confronting each other. Each numbered 
from 50,000 to 60,000 men, though Pope's may have 
a little exceeded the latter number, as he had been 
drawing reinforcements from Alexandria, where his 
reserves of 20,000 men had been collected. The 
early morning and forenoon of this memorable day 
passed in comparative quiet, yet before set of sun 
was to be fought one of the most sanguinary conflicts 
of the war. From time to time the rattle of slight 
skirmishing sounded along the lines, as it always 
does when two hostile armies are brought so closely 
together, and at long intervals the boom of cannon 
broke, like a sullen warning, through the hazy, 
sultry air. On our right was a body of Federal 
cavalry operating with great audacity, and as some 
of their skirmishers approached our position with 
what I regarded as excessive impudence, I deter- 
mined (with the consent of General Stuart) to give 
them a lesson. At my request General Hood de- 
tailed to me several of his Texan marksmen, who 
moved forward with alacrity and pleasure to this 
exciting little enterprise, crawling through the high 
grass and along the fences with the suppleness of 
serpents, in a manner that might have excited 
the envy of the cleverest Indian on the war-path. 
The Federal cavalrymen seemed not a little sur- 
prised to see me, as being on horseback I was the 
only one of the party visible to them, and were 
evidently quite undecided what to do when I halted 
at a distance from them of about 200 yards. Among 
my riflemen, one had been pointed out to me as the 
best shot, who was a Prussian by birth, but who had 



PREPARATIONS FOR BATTLE. 105 

lived for many years on tlie prairies of Texas. He 
was the first to fire. Raising his rifle, he said to me 
with a certain pride, a smile lighting up his brown 
weather-beaten features, " Now, Major, you shall see 
what an old Prussian can do." An instant after- 
Avards the crack of the rifle was heard, and the fore- 
most of the Yankees rolled in the dust, then a 
second victim fell pierced by the bullet of another 
Texan, and the bold body of Federal cavalry gal- 
loped ofi" as if a legion of demons were in chase of 
them, amidst the tumultuous shouts of Hood's men, 
and of our own cavalry and cannoneers, who had 
been looking on with great interest. Unfortunately 
we could not lay hold of the riderless horses, which 
rapidly followed their vanishing companions ; but 
nothing could prevent my Texans from getting their 
spoils from the dead — a booty, in their opinion, 
richly merited by them. 

About two o'clock in the afternoon the oppressive 
stillness of the situation gave place to commotion 
and activity. Adjutants were galloping to and fro. 
General Stuart was hastily summoned to General 
Lee's headquarters, where Jackson and Longstreet 
w^ere already in council with our Commander-in- 
Chief. Strong reserves were posted in the centre, 
and forty pieces of cannon were concentrated there. 
Our horse-artillery was in readiness for action ; and 
Colonel Eosser, who commanded the 5th Virginia 
Cavalry, but was an artillerist by education, had four 
batteries temporarily placed under his charge, with 
which he trotted to the front. Every one now saw 
that we were on the eve of great events, and a strange 
feeling of anxiety, as is often the case just before a 
battle, came over many a stout heart — a feeling 
which can be compared only to the heavy sultry 
silence that precedes the thunderstorm. 

The greater part of the two hostile armies were sep- 
arated by a narrow open valley of about three miles 
in length and half a mile in breadth, shut in by two 



106 COMMENCEMENT OF THE ATTACK. 

parallel ranges of wooded hills, wliicli fell away on 
the left into a wide wooded plain occupied by the 
outermost divisions of Jackson's corps, and closed on 
the extreme right by overlooking heights, which were 
held by our horse-artillery. It had been reported to 
General Lee that the enemy had massed large forces 
opposite to his centre, or the lower part of the little 
valley just described, which induced him to suppose 
that General Pope had determined to try one of 
.ISTapoleon's manceuvres de force, and would attempt, 
by overwhelming numbers, to break through the 
centre in a sudden attack, trusting to dispose of the 
two wings easily thereafter. Our noble leader had 
not been deceived, and his measures to frustrate the 
plans of the enemy had been admirably concerted. 

About three o'clock in the afternoon the close 
columns of the Yankees emerged suddenly out of the 
dark green of the opposite forest at a double-quick, 
five extended lines, at intervals of sixty yards, com- 
prising at the least 15,000 men. Their coloui's were 
borne proudly aloft, and they advanced across the 
open space before us in beautiful order. Nearer and 
nearer they came, each one of us looking on with 
hushed anxiety at the imposing columns which 
moved towards the Confederate position as a water- 
spout moves over the deep. The silence was some- 
thing appalling, when, at the instant, forty pieces of 
artillery poured a withering shower of shells into the 
very midst of the advancing host, while, at the same 
time, their first line was received Avith a perfect sheet 
of fire from our triple infantry line concealed in the 
dense undergrowth of the forest. The artillery was 
in charge of Colonel Stephen D. Lee, and the accur- 
acy with which the shells exploded in the very faces of 
the foe testified to the admirable service of the guns. 
It was as if an annihilating bolt out of the thunder- 
cloud had let loose its fury upon those doomed men, 
who until now had been pressing onward like moving 
walls, and they now wavered and swayed to and fro 



EEPULSE OF THE ENEMY's COLUMN. 107 

as if the very earth reeled beneath their feet. Again 
and again roared the thunder of our guns, again and 
again deadly volleys sent their hail of bullets into 
the dense ranks of the enemy, until all at once this 
splendidly-organised body of troops broke in disorder, 
and became a confused mass of fugitives. The Fed- 
eral officers did their best to reanimate them. With 
the utmost energy and courage they brought their 
men forward to three several assaults, and three times 
were they hurled back, leaving hundreds of their 
number dead and wounded on the plain. At last 
physical strength and moral endurance alike gave 
way before the terrible effect of our fire, and the 
whole force fled in disorderly rout to the rear, a flight 
which could no longer be checked. At this moment 
the wild yell of the Confederates drowned the noise 
of the guns. As far as the eye could reach, the long 
lines of our army, with their red battle-flags, lit up 
by the evening sun to a colour like blood, were 
breaking over the plain in pursuit. It was a moment 
indeed of the intensest excitement and enthusiasm. 
With great difficulty could the cannoneers be kept 
back to their pieces. Scarcely could we, the officers 
of the general Staff, resist the impulse to throw our- 
selves with our victorious comrades upon the retreat- 
ing enemy. 

Thus the running fight was kept up for nearly two 
miles, our men, flushed with success, driving every- 
thing before them, and taking many prisoners. Sud- 
denly, however, their headlong advance was vigor- 
ously checked at the village of Groveton, situated on 
a range of hills, now held by the main body of Pope's 
army, from which more than 100 pieces of artillery 
hurled their terrible missiles upon the Confederates 
exposed in the open plain and exhausted by the 
pursuit. In their turn they staggered, halted, and 
fell slowly back ; but before the shouts of triumph 
of the Federals had died away, the onset was renewed 
and continued until we had brought the last man of 



108 ADVANCE OF OUR CAVALRY. 

our reserves into action. As the sun sank behind 
the heights of Manassas, the enemy, after a very gal- 
lant struggle, was driven entirely from the field, 
retreating towards Centreville in great confusion, 
leaving behind them many thousands of dead, 
wounded, and prisoners, besides many pieces of 
cannon and regimental standards, and a considerable 
quantity of small arms. 

In the mean time our cavalry had been pressing 
forward on the ric^ht flank, drivin^r the Federal horse 
with little resistance before them over a rolling 
wooded ground, from which we could see plainly the 
progress of the battle. Our horse- artillery, acting in 
concert with Rosser's four batteries, and advancing 
on a line parallel with that taken by the cavalry on 
the Groveton side, had been pouring a destructive 
flank-tire on the dense ranks of the Yankees. This 
fire was energetically returned by the numerous bat- 
teries of the enemy, which, firing too high, threw 
their shells all over the woods throuo^h which we of 
the cavalry were passing, breaking and shattering 
trees and branches in every direction, and inflicting 
much injury on men and horses. I myself received 
several slight injuries from the splinters and flying 
limbs with which the air was filled, and made a very 
narrow escape from serious damage, as one of the 
enemy's shells exploded between my horse's legs, 
striking, strange to say, neither rider nor animal. 

After the taking of the Groveton heights, as the 
enemy was retreating in the direction of Centreville 
— all except their cavalry, which fell back towards 
Manassas Plains — our main line of battle had to 
move as on a pivot, the right wing advancing rapidly, 
and the whole standing nearly perpendicular to our 
former position. As the retreat led through a 
densely-wooded country, where cavalry could be of 
little use, only Fitz Lee's brigade joined our army in 
the pursuit — General Stuart pushing forward with 
Kobertson's brigade to drive off the strong force of 



DESPERATE CAVALRY FIGHTS. 109 

Federal cavalry which had been there brought to- 
gether, and vi^liich would otherwise have operated 
successfully on our exposed flank. The 2d Virginia 
Cavahy, under the gallant Colonel Munford, was in 
the advance, and arrived at the plateau of Manassas 
before the two other regiments of the brigade had 
come up. Here they found the Yankee horse in far 
superior numbers, drawn up in two magnificent lines 
of battle, one behind the other. Without waiting 
for the arrival of their comrades, the brave fellows of 
the 2d, their intrepid Colonel at their head, threw 
themselves upon the foe. They succeeded in break- 
ing the first line by their impetuous charge, but 
having been thrown into some disorder by the length 
of the attack, the second line of the enemy, using 
well its opportunity, made a counter-charge in splen- 
did style, and drove them back in confused flight, 
shooting and sabring many of the men, the rallied 
Yankee regiments of the first line joining in the pur- 
suit. At this moment we arrived with the 7th and 
12tli at the scene of the disaster, and, receiving our 
flying comrades into our ranks, we charged furiously 
the hostile lines, scattering them in every direction, 
recapturing all our men who had fallen into their 
hands, killing the commander of the entire force and 
many other officers, among whom was the Major wdio 
had given me such a run at Verdiersville, besides 
killing and wounding a large number of their soldiers, 
and taking several hundred prisoners and horses. 
The pursuit was not abandoned until we had chased 
them over the stream of Bull Eun ; and we heard 
later that the stampeded horsemen had continued 
their flight into the fortifications of Centreville. Our 
loss was comparatively small in killed, consisting 
mostly of wounded, among whom was the brave com- 
mander of the 2d, Colonel Munford, who had received 
several sabre-cuts on the head. 

Night had now set in, and as we approached the 
field of battle on our return to the main body of our 



110 LOSSES ON BOTH SIDES. 

army, we found that fighting and pursuit had entirely 
ceased, darkness having at last checked our victorious 
progress. It was exceedingly unfortunate for the 
Confederates that the battle had been commenced so 
late in the afternoon, as two hours more of daylight 
would have rendered the result of the day yet more 
disastrous to the Federal army. Their loss, however, 
during the several days' fighting which terminated 
with the battle of Groveton, had been immense, 
amounting to at least 20,000 men in killed, wounded, 
and prisoners, 30 pieces of artillery, about 40,000 
small arms, many standards, and uncounted stores of 
ammunition and provisions. The Yankee troops 
were totally demoralised, and had lost all confidence 
in their commanding general ; and the Government 
at Washington, not less than the whole people of the 
North, looked with the greatest terror and anxiety 
into the future. Our loss had also been heavy, esti- 
mated in the last battle alone at 6000 in killed and 
wounded. Many a noble fellow breathed his last sigh 
for the South on the slippery heights of Groveton. 

The little military family of our own Staff had spe- 
cially to grieve for the loss of one of our number — 
Captain Hardeman Stuart, a nephew of our General, 
who had charge of the Signal Corps * of our cavalry. 
Poor Stuart, having been surprised with his party on 
the morning of the 30th by a body of Federal horse, 
was only able to escape with two of his men, leaving 
their apparatus and horses behind. Eeaching the 
Confederate lines on foot just as the battle was com- 
mencing, and not being able to render more important 
service, these three heroes seized each one of the 
muskets which had been thrown down in laroje num- 



^to" 



* The Signal Corps is an institution peculiar to the American 
armies, organised for telegraphic communications between distant 
points by the waving of flags of various colours in the daytime, 
and of lights of various colours at night. It is somewhat similar 
to the old semaphore system, and in campaigning can only be 
employed to advantage in a hilly region of country, where the 
signals can be made from elevated spots. 



RECONNOITRING WITH STUART. Ill 

bers by the enemy in their retreat, and joined the 
ranks of the 18th Mississippi infantry, which were 
just moving at a double-quick towards the Groveton 
heights. There they fell in glorious companionship 
after the regiment had captured several of the enemy's 
batteries. We encamped on the field of battle, and 
were occupied during the greater part of the night in 
carrying water to the wounded, and otherwise minis- 
tering to the wants of the sufferers to the extent of 
our ability. 

We rested but a few hours after the fatigues of 
Groveton, and I was roused at peep of day by Gene- 
ral Stuart, who desired me to accompany him on a 
little expedition to reconnoitre the position of the 
enemy. It was a dark cloudy morning, and a sharp 
wind drove a drizzling rain, which had been falling 
throughout the night, right in our faces, so that we 
found the ride through the small pine thickets that 
lay in our way exceedingly disagreeable. Of the 
enemy we could discover nothing ourselves. From 
our scouts, and from the Federal prisoners that were 
still coming in every half-hour in squads of eight or 
ten, we learned that the army of General Pope had 
made a halt in and around Centreville. I was now 
asked by General Stuart to ride over to Jackson's 
headquarters, on the left of our lines, to make report 
and carry him important papers, and to proceed 
thence yet further to the left to Sudley's Mill, with 
orders for General Fitz Lee with his brigade, which 
had bivouacked there during the night, to march at 
once along the Little Eiver turnpike in the direction of 
Fairfax Court-house, to a point where General Stuart 
himself, with Eobertson's brigade, taking a short cut 
across the fields, would join him in the afternoon. 

The headquarters of Jackson were at least five 
miles distant on our extreme left, and I had to ride 
along the entire line of our army, which at this mo- 
ment was somewhat irregular. As the surface was 
much broken and covered with dense forests, I ran a 



112 TAKEN FOR A YANKEE. 

narrow hazard of losing my way, and w^as compelled 
to make frequent inquiries of the different bodies 
of troops I passed en wide. My appearance in the 
saddle was not a little bizarre, as I pushed onward 
through the rain, which still continued to descend 
soakingly. For protection against the storm I had 
wrapped myself up completely in my black oil-cloth 
cloak, at the same time turning down the wide brim 
of my slouched hat so as wholly to conceal my face. 
If these precautions kept me comparatively dry, they 
made it difficult for any one to distinguish me from 
a Yankee cavalier, and thus involved me in a ridicu- 
lous adventure, which might have had a tragical re- 
sult. I had been questioning an infantry quarter- 
master as to the whereabouts of General Jackson, and 
my interlocutor, forming some grave suspicions from 
my appearance and foreign accent, took his measures 
accordingly. A few minutes after I had left him, 
two men on horseback came up, placing themselves 
on either side of me, and commenced a conversation 
which could not have been more impertinently in- 
quisitive if they had learned to ask questions in Con- 
necticut. I very soon wearied of this cross-examina- 
tion, and so informed my companions, adding that if 
they desired anything at my hands they might ex- 
press themselves fully. Whereupon they made polite 
apologies, declaring that they desired nothing beyond 
the pleasure of my company ; but as at this moment 
three other horsemen came riding towards us, their 
manner underwent a sudden change, and they de- 
manded my surrender as a Yankee, and called upon 
me to hand over to them any papers that might be 
in my possession. Exceedingly annoyed at this, I 
threw open my oil-cloth cloak, disclosing my grey 
uniform, and said to them, with some disgust, that if 
they still doubted my confraternity, one or two of 
them might ride with me to General Jackson's head- 
quarters, when they would soon be convinced of their 
mistake ; but that under no circumstances whatever 



MY IDENTITY CERTIFIED. 113 

would I expose to their inspection important papers 
which had been committed to my charge, and that, 
if need were, I would defend them with my life. 
This, however, wrought no change of opinion in my 
pertinacious accusers. They replied that any stranger 
might tell the same story ; and that, as for my grey 
coat, it was a common Yankee trick to assume the 
Confederate uniform — it was just what a spy would 
naturally do. Losing all patience, I now drew my 
shining Damascus blade, and, driving my spurs into 
the flanks of my steed, I separated myself by a sud- 
den leap from my disagreeable companionship, and 
continued in a quiet walk upon my journey. The 
quartermaster's troopers were taken completely by 
surprise by this determined movement, but they 
drew their revolvers, and, as if undecided what steps 
to take in the matter, slowly followed me at the dis- 
tance of twenty or thirty yards. Fortunately I soon 
met an officer of my acquaintance, who was exceed- 
ingly diverted at my predicament, and quickly satis- 
fied my would-be captors of their error. I was still 
so provoked, however, that I sent my card to the 
suspicious quartermaster, inviting him to meet me 
at General Stuart's headquarters, where I should be 
most happy to give him a good lesson for his future 
conduct. But he never came, and I never heard of 
him a£^ain. 

After a long and weary ride over the battle-fields 
of the last few days, which were still cumbered with 
the unburied corpses of the slain, I at last found 
Jackson, who was just returning with General Eobert 
E. Lee from a little reconnaissance beyond the Stone 
Bridge over Bull Kun. Here they had been fired at 
by the advance pickets of the enemy, but had for- 
tunately sustained no injury. They received me 
very kindly, and laughed at the recital of my recent 
adventure ; but our interview was a short one, as I 
had to hasten after General Fitz Lee, who had already 
been ordered by Jackson to proceed with his com- 

H 



114 OLD COMRADES IN ARMS. 

mand in the direction of Fairfax Court-house, and 
was thus several hours ahead of me. A disagreeable 
gallop through the intricate bridle-paths of the forest 
enabled me to overtake our horsemen at the end of 
five or six hours. They had just come to a halt, as our 
advanced-guard had surprised and taken to the last 
man a picket of the 2d U.S. Cavalry, regular army, 
and two of our squadrons were on the point of starting 
to attack the Yankee picket reserves, who, having no 
idea of our approach, had bivouacked carelessly in and 
around a farmyard about a mile and a half higher up 
the road. Fitz Lee had been a lieutenant in the 2d 
U.S. Cavalry* before the war, and he was greatly de- 
lighted at making prisoners in this w^ay of many of 
his old comrades. For myself, being badly in want 
of a new horse, the steed I then bestrode having been 
very nearly broken down by the fatigues of the cam- 
paign, I joined with alacrity and pleasure the attack- 
ing detachment. There was but little fighting to be 
done. We rushed so suddenly and unexpectedly upon 
the Yankee reserves that they had not even time to 
mount, and two full companies with their officers fell 
into our hands. We captured also their horses, from 
among which I lost no time in exchanging a noble 
bay for my own worn-out animal. The officers gave 
their parole not to escape, and were treated by us 
with the utmost courtesy, being allowed to ride their 
own horses, and accompany our Staff at the head of 
the column. They had served in former days both 
with Fitz Lee and Stuart ; and it was curious, as an 
illustration of the war, to hear these quondam com- 
panions-in-arms talking and laughing over the olden 
time. Late in the afternoon we were joined by 
Stuart with Robertson's brigade, and continued our 
march towards Fairfax Court-house. 

We had been informed by our scouts that a large 

* General Kobert E. Lee had been the Lieutenant -Colonel 
of this fine regiment, and many other Confederate officers had 
formerly served in it. 



ATTACK OF A WAGGON-TRAIN. 115 

waggon-train of the enemy was moving on a parallel 
turnpike two miles distant from ns, in the same 
direction with our column, and the shades of night ^\ 
were just closing in upon us when the heavy rum- :.'S 
bling of the convoy, which was several miles in 
length, became distinctly audible. As the escort 
protecting this train consisted of several brigades of - 1 
infantry. General Stuart did not regard it as prudent v^ 
to hazard a direct attack, and concluded to j)ay them 
only a distant salutation. This was very handsomely 
done by our horse-artillery, which, being well posted 
on an eminence, soon began to perform great execu- "^ 
tion on the long line of waggons, whose white tops '""^ 
we could see, through the dusk of evening, winding 
slowly along the road like a gigantic snake. The 
confusion in a few minutes became bewildering, as 
the balls from our guns went crashing through the 
heavily-laden vans, and the loud cries of the drivers 
vainly endeavouring to get out of range commingled 
in tumultuous din with the disorderly commands of 
the officers of the supporting force, who did not 
seem to know from what quarter to expect the 
attack, or how to meet it ; and by the time they had 
formed their line of battle, and were pushing bravely 
forward upon our position, we had proceeded already 
several miles upon the back-track towards the small 
village;qLChantilly, which vf e reached about 1 o'clock, 
and wliere our cavalry encamped for the night. j^ 

Some six miles distant from Chantilly — in very ^ 
unsafe proximity, it must be admitted, to the 
enemy's lines — lived on their plantation a family 
who were old and dear friends of Stuart. Finding 
himself in their neighbourhood, and not having seen 
them for a considerable time, our General could 
not resist the opportunity afforded by our night's 
halt in bivouac of paying them a visit, and the 
members of his Staff determined to keep him com- 
pany. A brisk canter through the dark woods 
brought us about midnight to the mansion, where 



116 FURTHER PREPARATIONS. 

all were fast asleep except two ferocious dogs that 
tried unsuccessfully to resist our entrance to the 
immediate grounds. Stuart proposed that we should 
arouse the slumbering inhabitants with the dulcet- 
notes of a serenade ; and the serenade was at- 
tempted ; but the discordant voices that joined in 
the effort sounded so very like the voices of the 
wild Indians in their war-whoop, that the proprietor, 
at once awakened and fully persuaded that his peace- 
ful residence was surrounded by a party of maraud- 
ing Yankees, carefully opened a window and begged 
most anxiously that the building and the lives of 
its inmates might be spared, promising that he 
would do his best to satisfy our demands. His 
surprise and delight, when at last he recognised 
" Jeb " Stuart's voice, cannot be described. In a 
few minutes the whole household, young and old, 
were aroused, and we remained talking with our 
kind friends, until the morning sun, stealing through 
the curtains of the drawing-room, reminded us that 
it wa,s time to be off. And so, after a hasty but 
hearty breakfast, we took leave of the hospitable 
family and rode back to our command. 

Meanwhile the Federal army had halted in the 
neighbourhood of Fairfax Court - house, and was 
there throwing up intrenchments. Our Generals, 
however, did not suppose that they really intended 
to make a stand at that point, and their further 
retreat towards Alexandria was confidently expected. 
As they had received strong reinforcements from 
Alexandria and Washington, General Lee did not 
deem it advisable to press them vigorously the day 
after the battle of Groveton. Our own army had suf- 
fered severely in fight and from fatigue during the re- 
cent continuous engagements and marches, and fresh 
troops from Gordonsville and Eichmond were hourly 
looked for. Our men, therefore, had been employed 
only in burying the dead, and collecting the ample 
spoils of victory. The small arms lying about every- 



AN AMBUSCADE. 117 

where were picked up and cleaned. Thus the morn- 
ing of the 1st of September passed off quietly enough. 
Stuart and I rode off to Jackson's corps, which 
w^as stationed- at Ox Hill, and found Old Stone- 
wall with his outposts very much amused at the 
effect of the rifle practice of some of his marksmen 
upon a squad of Yankee cavalry who had been 
advancing imprudently, and were just galloping off 
in a hurry across an open field. About noon the 
cavalry received orders to proceed cautiously along 
the road to Fairfax Court-house, Jackson's corps 
following at a short distance behind. The beautiful 
weather of the early morning had now changed into 
a drenching downpour of rain, and our column 
marched slowly onward, the 5th Virginia in the 
lead, with whose commander. Colonel Eosser, I was 
riding in front of the regiment. We were discussing 
our late fights and adventures, when suddenly the 
few men who formed our extreme advance and were 
riding a few rods ahead of us, came back at full 
gallop, and at the same moment rattling volleys from 
the thick pine-woods which lined the turnpike on 
either side sent a shower of balls over our heads. 
We had fallen into an ambuscade, which, if the 
Yankees had waited a little longer before firing, 
might have turned out very disastrously for us ; but 
as only the head of our column was visible to them, 
and as they fired much too high, the damage done 
was inconsiderable, only a few men and horses being 
wounded. The order to wheel about was quickly 
given and quickly executed. Volunteering to ride 
back and report to General Stuart, I galloped 
rapidly to the rear, the 5th Virginia following in 
haste, and the Yankees still delivering their fire, 
which was now wholly ineffective, the bullets clat- 
tering through the forest. Two pieces of our horse- 
artillery, which had been detailed to the 5th, and 
which had loitered a little in the rear, I brought to 
a halt on a slight eminence in the road, and ordered 



118 THE ENEMY AGAIN DEFEATED. 

to open fire as soon as the road was clear of our 
cavalry, the main body of which I arrested. A 
few minutes afterwards, I met Jackson and Stuart, 
who had been summoned to the front by the firing 
and the halting of the column. Old Stonewall made 
his dispositions with his usual celerity. He ordered 
Stuart to move along the by-roads towards Fairfax 
Court-house, and ascertain if the Federals were only 
making a demonstration, or if this was a general 
advance. For himself he was determined to stop 
the farther progress of the Yankees at once, and 
before we had turned off into the dark narrow path 
through the woods, the leading division of his corps 
had formed line of battle, and, advancing at double- 
quick, was soon hotly engaged with the enemy. 

The rain was still pouring in torrents. The ap- 
pearance of our column as it made its tortuous way 
through the dripping woods was not inspiriting, nor 
was its temper as buoyant as it might have been 
under happier auspices of sky and surroundings. 
The rattling of musketry and the roar of the cannon- 
ade on our left becoming every moment louder and 
fiercer, we could not but entertain some anxiety as to 
the result, for in case of Jackson's defeat, our situa- 
tion would be rendered exceedingly precarious. Late 
in the evening, however, our patrols and scouts re- 
ported the bulk of General Pope's army in full retreat 
towards Alexandria ; and the approaching darkness 
making our further advance impracticable. General 
Stuart determined to return. We were warranted 
now in believing that Jackson had been victorious, 
but as we had no information of the enemy's posi- 
tion, or of the strength of the force they had sent 
against him, it was necessary to march back with 
great circumspection. After several false alarms, we 
reached an outpost a little past midnight, wet and 
chilled to the very bones. Jackson's fight had been 
a sanguinary one, but the Yankees had been driven 
back with heavy loss, leaving behind them their dead 



KENEWED CAVALRY-FIGHT. 119 

and wounded, and 1000 of their number as prisoners 
in our hands. Among their dead were two Generals, 
one of whom, the famous warrior Phil Kearney, had 
years before left an arm on one of the battle-fields of 
Mexico. His body was respectfully taken care of, 
and sent, with all military honours, into the Federal 
lines under flag of truce the next day. -^ -*' -^ > 

We pitched our camp in a dense pine-grove near 
Chantilly, and for the remainder of the night were 
occupied in drying our drenched garments by the 
heat of roaring wood-fires. On the morning of the 
2d September we were agreeably surprised by the 
arrival of Hampton's splendid brigade, which had 
been retained on picket duty on the James, Chicka- 
hominy, and Pamunkey rivers, and our loud cheering 
was heartily responded to by the dashing horsemen 
of the Carolinas and Mississippi, who had long been 
anxious to meet the enemy under the lead of the 
gallant Stuart. As yet they had seen no fighting 
under his direct orders. Their desire was very 
speedily to be gratified. The main body of the 
Federal army had retreated towards Alexandria, but 
a strong cavalry force with horse-artillery still held 
Fairfax Court-house and its neighbourhood, and 
Stuart had been directed to drive fhem off. 

The sun of the following day had just begun to 
exert its reinvigorating power upon our shivering 
limbs when we again set out for action. In the ad- 
vance were Hampton's brigade, with the flying artil- 
lery attached to it, and the latter soon became hotly 
engaged with some of the enemy's batteries. From 
point to point we drove the Yankees slowly before 
us, until late in the afternoon they offered more de- 
termined resistance on a ridge alDout two miles in 
front of the Court-house. Hampton was now ordered 
to make a little circuit to the left to take the enemy 
in flank, and as soon as we heard the thunder of his 
guns we pressed forward with Fitz Lee's force, driving 
the Yankees in rapid retreat from their position. 






120 A PAETING SALUTE. 

Stuart and I reached the abandoned heights, far 
ahead of our troops, just in time to see the long blue 
lines of the Federals trotting through the village, and 
their track marked by blazing farmhouses to the 
right and left in the fertile fields around it. The 
General, justly exasperated at the sight, turned round 
to me and said, " Major, ride as quick as you can, 
and bring up some of Pelham's guns at full gallop, 
that we may give a parting salute to these rascally 
incendiaries." Not less eager than he, I reached the 
artillery in a few minutes, and, getting the pieces 
into position without loss of time, we sent several 
shells with so much accuracy into the rear of the 
hostile column that, leaving their dead and wounded, 
they galloped off in the greatest confusion. 

The magnificent lines of Hampton's brigade now 
appeared in brisk pursuit on the left, our Virginia 
horsemen, under Fitz Lee, had just joined us, and 
every one burned with the desire to throw himself 
forward upon the enemy. Stuart and myself took the 
lead : waving our battle-flag, which I had taken 
from the standard-bearer, high over my head, I 
echoed the loud yell of our men that came thunder- 
ing after us, our artillery meanwhile firing shot after 
hot, which hurtled through the air above us ; and 
o we entered the village of Fairfax Court-house at 
the moment that the last of the Federal cavalry, in 
headlong flight, galloped out on the opposite side. 
It was a moment of the wildest joy and excitement. 
The delirious joy and gratitude of the inhabitants, 
who for more than a year had been under Yankee 
rule, cannot be described when I planted the Con- 
federate colours upon a little open space in the 
centre of the village, and thus took formal possession 
of it again. As night was approaching, and we 
knew, from the freshness of their horses, there was 
little chance of overtaking the fugitive Yankees, 
only two squadrons were sent in pursuit of them, 
and the rest of our command halted and encamped 



A EENEGADE VIRGINIAN. 121 

around the Court-lionse. Amid all the confusion 
and intoxication of the hour I did not lose the op- 
portunity of capturing a very good and well-equipped 
Yankee horse that was galloping about riderless, his 
master having been killed by a shell from our artil- 
lery. One gets a sharp practical eye for such things 
after a little experience of active warfare. 

General Stuart established his headquarters at the 
house of a citizen whose daughter he had previously 
known, and regarded as a young lady of very ardent 
patriotism. Her subsequent conduct did not justify 
this opinion. In a playful imprudent manner the 
General had bestowed upon her a sort of honorary 
commission upon his Staff, which caused her to be 
arrested at a somewhat later period by the Federal 
authorities ; but long before the termination of the 
war she managed to marry a Yankee ofi&cer, and 
took the oath of allegiance to the Northern Govern- 
ment, thus doubly discrediting the title of Virginian. 
After half an hour's rest, Stuart requested me to ride 
with him to the headquarters of General Jackson, 
who had bivouacked only a few miles from the 
Court-house. A rapid gallop soon accomplished the 
distance, and we arrived just in time to partake of 
his simple supper, consisting of coffee and corn- 
bread.* At the conclusion of the repast, the night 
being already far advanced, we accepted General 
Jackson's invitation to sleep for the few hours till 
dawn beneath his small tent-fly. Wearied out by 
the exertions of the previous day, I was still deeply 
wrapt in slumber when I felt the pressure of a light 
touch on my shoulder, and a mild voice said to me, 

* This article of food formed so much the most considerable 
part of our commissariat during the whole of my campaigns, that 
it may be well to explain that in America "corn-bread" invari- 
ably means bread made of Indian meal, and not of wheat floiir. 
The Virginians are especially skilled in its preparation, and the 
old negro cook of the planter's family used to produce several 
varieties of this bread which were exceedingly palatable and 
nutritious. 



122 GENERAL JACKSON. 

'' Major, it is time to rise and start." Before I was 
yet fully awake, my caller placed a basin of water 
and a towel on a camp-stool near my head, and con- 
tinued, " Now, Major, wash quickly ; a cup of coffee 
is waiting for you, your horse is saddled, and you 
must be off at once." To my utter surprise, I now 
discovered that my attentive servitor was the great 
Stonewall himself — the light touch had been given 
by the iron hand, and the soft voice was that which 
had been heard in short energetic sentences so often 
amid the tumult of battle. I shall never forget the 
smile that broke over his kindly face at my amaze- 
ment in recognising him. 

General Stuart was himself already in the saddle, 
and in a few minutes we galloped back to the Court- 
house, the newly-risen sun just touching the tops of 
the tall hickory-trees, and the whole forest exhaling 
the most delicious odour, for the delight and refresh- 
ment of only such " early birds " as ourselves. Half 
an hour after our return to the village, our whole 
command was mounted and on the march to the 
little town of Drainsville. We rode in advance with 
Hampton's brigade, which had some slight skirmish- 
ing with small bodies of Federal cavalry that from 
time to time made their appearance, but were driven 
back with little difficulty. The part of Virginia 
through which we were passing abounds with deli- 
cious peaches, and as this fruit was just ripening, it 
was a very gi^ateful attention in the proprietors of 
the different farms and orchards on the road to in- 
vite us to partake of it freely. At one point of our 
day's march there came out to the highway, from a 
neicchbourinof mansion which was decorated with the 
Confederate flag, a little cavalcade, consisting of an old 
gentleman with grey hair, and three very pretty daugh- 
ters. Galloping up to the column, the old gentleman 
addressed himself accidentally to Stuart, begging that 
he would be good enough to point out the famous 
cavalry leader whom he and his fair daughters were 



AFFECTING SCENE. 123 

SO anxious to see. Stuart, after having maintained 
for a while his incognito, at last acknowledged that 
he was himself the man, and the surprise of pater- 
familias and the blushing confusion of the young 
ladies, amused us not a little. They all insisted upon 
our stopping for a short time at their house, where 
luncheon had been prepared for the General and 
Staff; and I must admit that, in my breakfastless 
condition, I awaited Stuart's consent, which was 
only hesitatingly given, with some impatience. 

Soon after this we witnessed a most touching 
scene. At the portico of a modest, cheerful dwell- 
ing by the roadside, there stood, as we rode along, an 
elderly lady in deep mourning, who held by the 
hand a fair-haired boy of about fifteen years of age, 
and who asked of the General that she might be per- 
mitted to bless our battle-flag. Having invoked the 
favour of heaven upon our colours in a manner as ear- 
nest as it was unaffected, she told us that she was a 
widow who had lost already two sons in the war, but 
that she was ready to sacrifice her last child for the 
sacred cause of her country. The eyes of the boy 
brightened up, and his fist was clenched at this ; and 
tears fell down on our beards as we turned the heads 
of our horses towards the passing column. During 
the afternoon we rode over the ground, in the imme- 
diate neighbourhood of Drainsville, where Stuart in 
the year 1861 had fought his first fight. He showed 
me with pleasure the different positions which he 
and the enemy had occupied, and explained how dif- 
ferently he would have acted at that time, had he 
been favoured with the benefit of his present ex- 
perience. 

We encamped in and around Drainsville, our 
headquarters being established in the ample garden 
of a hotel in the centre of the village. Here, for the 
first time since we had left Hanover Court-house, 
were we enabled to reinforce our very dilapidated 
wardrobe from our long-missed portmanteaus, which 



124 A DAY OF REST. 

we found in the waggons belonging to the cavalry- 
staff. The following day was one of strange, blessed, 
uninterrupted quietude at Drainsville, the first day 
of rest after three weeks of continuous hard fighting. 
I have no power to convey the feeling of enjoyment 
with which, after a refreshing bath and the invest- 
ment of the outward man in clean clothing from 
head to foot, I lay stretched upon my blanket be- 
neath the shade of a wide-spreading hickory-tree. 
The day was delicious. The breeze came to me 
burdened with the fragrance of the latest summer 
flowers, lifting gently my hair, and whispering to me 
from the swaying branches overhead. Even the 
horses seemed to join in the general lassitude of the 
camp. They lay around us in the deep rich grass, 
which they were too lazy to crop, the very types of 
perfect physical satisfaction. And so we rested at 
headquarters — the officers, the soldiers, the negroes, 
the horses, the mules, all wi'apped in the dolce far 
niente which marked the termination of our eventful 
summer campaign in Virginia. 



CHAPTEE VI. 

THE AUTUMN CAMPAIGN IN MARYLAND — GRAND BALL AT 
URBANA — START FROM URBANA — FIGHTS NEAR FREDE- 
RICK AND MIDDLETOWN — MARCH TO HARPER's FERRY — 
FIGHT AT CRAMPTOn's GAP — EXCITING TIME IN PLEASANT 
VALLEY— SURRENDER OF HARPER's FERRY — MARCH TO 
SHARPSBURG — BOMBARDMENT OF SHARPSBURG THE BAT- 
TLE OF SHARPSBURG OR ANTIETAM — DAY AFTER THE 
BATTLE, AND RECROSSING THE POTOMAC. 

General Lee had now decided not to attack the 
enemy in their strong fortifications around Alex- 
andria, but boldly to carry the war into the enemy's 



EENEWED PREPARATIONS. 125 

territory, or at least into the fertile plains of Mary- 
land. Many advantages, it was hoped, might be 
secured by this policy. For a considerable period 
he would be able there to subsist his army, relieved 
from the necessity of protecting his lines of com- 
munication for supplies. The confident belief was 
also entertained that our army would be increased 
by 20,000 to 25,000 recruits, who were supposed to 
be only awaiting the opportunity of taking up arms 
against the Federal Government. Being so rein- 
forced, our commander-in-chief doubted not that 
he might easily strike a blow against Baltimore, or 
even Washington, or transfer the theatre of military 
operations across the border into the rich agricul- 
tural region of Pennsylvania. 

On the morning of the 5th September there was 
again presented throughout the Confederate camps 
a scene of bustling activity. Every regiment was 
preparing for the march, officers were riding to and 
fro, and the long artillery-trains were moving off 
along the turnpike, their rumbling noise combining 
with the rattle of the drums and the roll of the 
bugles to wake the echoes for miles around. Our 
direction was northiuard, and as we rode onward 
towards the little town of Leesburg, inspirited by 
this fact, our horses exhibiting new life from yester- 
day's repose, many a youthful hero looked forward 
to his triumphant entry into the Federal capital, or 
to a joyous reception at the hands of the fair women 
of Baltimore, whose irrepressible sympathies had 
been always with the South. 

After a march of several hours the column reached 
Leesburg, and the streets of the village were at once 
so compactly filled with troops, artillery, and wag- 
gon-trains, that General Stuart determined to make 
a detour with his cavalry, which had been halted 
about a mile distant, in preference to proceeding 
through the place. It was necessary, however, for 
the General to repair for final instructions to the 



*> 126 ARRR^AL AT LEESBURG. 

-^ n •: 

...headquarters of General Lee in the town, and in this 
''ride he was accompanied by his Staff. 
-. -v.- . Leesburg, the county seat of Loudoun, is a town 
'"^ .. "^or village of about 4000 inhabitants, some four miles 
o from the Potomac river, and, as might be readily 
O supposed from its proximity to the border, was alter- 
nately in the possession of the Yankees and the 
Confederates, having undergone a change of masters 
several times during the war. General Lee's head- 
^ quarters was set up in the commodious dwelling of 

a prominent citizen. Jackson and Longstreet had 
both already arrived there, and our great commander 
was soon engaged in a council of war with his 
lieutenants. 

While this conference was going on, I went across 
the street, with several other members of the Staff, 
to partake of an early dinner at the invitation 
of an old gentleman who lived directly opposite 
headquarters. Our venerable host had some time 
before been paralysed, and now spent the greater 
part of every day in a cane chair of immense pro- 
portions, seated in which he received us. This 
chair — so big as to resemble rather a summer-house 
or a cottage — came, through the chances of war, to a 
violent comico-tragical end. Some months after our 
visit, during one of the numerous fights that took 
place around Leesburg, our excellent old friend was 
/f seated in his favourite fauteuil, patiently awaiting 
the result of the conflict, when suddenly a shell 
^ crashed through the ceiling of the apartment, and 

bursting immediately under the chair of cane, tore 
• it to atoms. The attendants, after recovering from 
their fright, looked around for the mangled remains 
of its late occupant. Strange to relate, the old gen- 
tleman had sustained not the slightest injury, and 
could complain of nothing beyond the somewhat 
rude manner in which he had been tossed upon the 
floor, 
i. n — ^ About two o'clock in the afternoon we received 



PASSAGE OF THE POTOMAC. 127 

orders to move on, and after a dusty and very 
much impeded march of two hours, winding through 
infantry columns, and compelled frequently to halt, 
we reached the Potomac at White's Ford, where the 
cavalry were to cross. The banks of this noble 
river, which is of great width at this point, rise to 
the height of about sixty feet above the bed of the 
stream, and are overshadowed by gigantic trees of 
primeval growth, the trunks and branches of which 
are enwrapped with luxuriant vines, that, after 
reaching the very top, fall in graceful streamers and 
festoons to the ground, thus presenting tangles of 
tender verdure rarely seen in the forests of Europe. " 
At White's Tord the Potomac is divided into two 
streams by a sandy strip of island in the middle. 
This island is half a mile in length, and offered us a 
momentary resting-place half-way in our passage of 
the river. It was, indeed, a magnificent sight as the 
long column of many thousand horsemen stretched 
across this beautiful Potomac. The evening sun 
slanted upon its clear placid waters, and burnished 
them with gold, while the arms of the soldiers 
glittered and blazed in its radiance. There were few 
moments, perhaps, from the beginning to the close 
of the war, of excitement more intense, of exhilara- 
tion more delightful, than when we ascended the 
opposite bank to the familiar but now strangely 
thrilling music of " Maryland, my Maryland." As I 
gained the dry ground, I little thought that in a 
short time I should recross the river into Virginia, 
under circumstances far different and far less in- 
spiring. 

The passage of the Potomac by the cavalry column 
occupied about two hours, and was attended with 
some difficulty to our artillery, as the water in many 
places rose quite up to the middle of the horses' 
bodies. Having safely accomplished it, we continued 
our march towards the little town of Poolesville. 
The inhabitants of Maryland whom we met along 



128 OUR RECEPTION IN MARYLAND. 

the road, with some exceptions, did not greet us quite 
so cordially as we had expected, this portion of the 
state being less devoted than others to the Confede- 
rate cause. It was different, however, at Poolesville. 
We reached this place about nightfall, with Fitz Lee's 
brigade ; but just before entering it, our advanced- 
guard had a brisk little engagement with a squadron 
of Federal cavalry stationed there, which they dis- 
persed by a sudden attack, killing and wounding 
several, and capturing thirty prisoners, with an equal 
number of horses. We remained in Poolesville about 
an hour, and in this brief space the enthusiasm of 
the citizens rose to fever heat. The wildest and 
absurdest questions were eagerly asked by the honest 
burcjhers concernins^ the streno^th of our armies, our 
intended movements, &c. &c. A number of young 
men became so much excited that they immediately 
mounted their horses and insisted upon joiniDg our 
ranks. Two young merchants of the village, sud- 
denly resolving to enlist in the cavalry, announced 
the peremptory sale of their extensive stock of gro- 
ceries upon the spot for Confederate money. Our 
soldiers cleared out both establishments during the 
hour, to the last pin. Soldiers, on such occasions, 
are ftke children. They buy everything, and embar- 
rass themselves with numberless articles which very 
soon afterwards are thrown away as useless. I my- 
self could not resist the temptation of purchasing a 
box of cigars, a parcel of white crushed sugar, some 
lemons, and a pocket-knife, in the possession of which 
treasures I felt as happy as a king. 
. We bivouacked for the night about two miles from 
Poolesville, where we were fortunate enough to get 
an abundant supply of clover, hay, and Indian-corn 
for our horses. The following day we pushed on to 
the village of Urbana. On our march thither we saw, 
on the top of an isolated mountain of considerable 
height (known as the " Sugar Loaf"), a Yankee signal- 
station, where a company in charge were making 



ARRIVAL AT URBANA. 129 

signals to some of tlieir colleagues at a distance with 
great rapidity. A small detachment was imme- 
diately sent after these industrious fellows, and 
speedily returned, bringing with them several officers 
and men, and an entire apparatus of beautiful in- 
struments. We entered Urbana about noon. Around 
this place the cavahy had orders to encamp. My 
own instructions from General Stuart were to estab- 
lish his headquarters, and afterwards to seek him at 
the headquarters of Jackson, who had bivouacked 
near the town of Frederick, eight miles farther on, 
having crossed the Potomac at fords higher up than 
the point of our passage, and by a forced march out- 
stripped us by this distance. 

Urbana is a pretty village of neat white houses, 
situated half-way between Poolesville and Frederick, 
in the midst of a smiling and prosperous country. 
The simple arrangements for our headquarters were 
quickly made, a few tents were pitched in the garden 
of a modest dw^elling in the very centre of the village, 
the horses were picketed around, and in a few minutes 
the smoke rising from a dozen or more camp-fires 
gave pleasing assurance that the negroes were busy 
with their kettles in the occupation of all others 
most suited to their genius and temper — the prepara- 
tion of dinner. . Unfortunately I could not wait to 
profit by the results of their culinary talent, and be- 
fore my comrades of the Staff had commenced their 
meal I was trotting along the broad turnpike towards 
Frederick. 

This town, which has a population of about 15,000, 
occupies a charming site in one of the most fertile 
valleys of Maryland, and is approached from Pooles- 
ville by a road lined on either side by rich estates, 
whose mansions are built round with the green ver- 
andahs of the South. At the point where the road 
sweeps suddenly down from a higher elevation to 
the vale of the Monocacy the view is really grand. 
Well-tilled fields stretch away for miles to purple 

I 



130 ASPECT OF FEEDERICK TOWN. 

ranges of mountains in . the far distance ; in the 
middle of the plain lies the city, with its domes and 
steeples, and in the intermediate space flows the 
brawling, limpid stream of the Monocacy, spanned 
by lofty bridges and the noble viaduct of the Balti- 
more and Ohio Eailway. Frederick was a depot of 
supplies for the Federal army during the war, and in 
a strategetical point of view was a place of consider- 
able importance. 

Jackson's corps had taken the town completely by 
surprise, and a portion of the troops stationed there 
had been captured, besides two hospitals containing 
several hundred wounded men, and immense stores 
of medicines, provisions, and equipments. As Gene- 
ral Stuart, always uncertain in his movements, was 
not at Jackson's headquarters, and was supposed to 
have gone into the town, I determined to ride there 
myself in the hope of finding him. Entering the 
good old city of Frederick, I found it in a tremen- 
dous state of excitement. The Unionists living 
there had their houses closely shut up and barred ; 
but the far greater number of the citizens, being 
favourably disposed to the Confederate cause, had 
thrown wide open their doors and windows, and wel- 
comed our troops with the liveliest enthusiasm. Flags 
were floating from the houses, and garlands of flowers 
were hung across the streets. Everywhere a dense 
multitude was moving up and down, singing and 
shouting in a paroxysm of joy and patriotic emotion, 
in many cases partly superinduced by an abundant 
flow of strong liquors. 

Every officer who wore a plume in his hat was 
immediately taken for Jackson or Stuart : all aver- 
ments to the contrary, all remonstrances with the 
crowd, were utterly useless. The public would have 
it their own way. So it happened that I was very 
soon followed by a wild mob of people, of all ages, 
from the old greybeard down to the smallest boy, all 
insisting that I was Jackson, and venting their ad- 



NEW DISPOSITION OF THE CAVALRY. 131 

miration in loud cheers and huzzas. Ladies rushed 
out of their houses with bouquets. In vain did I 
declare that I was not Jackson. This disclaimer, 
they said, was prompted by the well-known modesty 
of the great hero, and afforded them the surest means 
of recognising him. The complication grew worse 
and worse every minute. To escape these annoying 
ovations I dismounted at last at a hotel, but here I 
was little better off. It was like jumping into the 
mill-pond to get out of the rain. The proprietor of 
the establishment being a German, many of Ger- 
mania's sons were there assembled, immersed in beer 
and smoking like so many furnaces. I am quite 
sure that most of them were very decided Yankee 
sympathisers, but as a grey uniform was right among 
them, and many others were not far off, they talked 
the hottest secession, and nearly floored me with 
their questions. One who had seen Jackson's col- 
umns on the march, affirmed they numbered not a 
man less than 300,000. Another was only in doubt 
as to the day and hour when we should victoriously 
enter Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New 
York. All were sure that 30,000 Maryland ers were 
ready to follow in the next few days our invincible 
army, a large proportion of whom were at that mo- 
ment in Frederick, waiting only for arms, &c. &c. 

I was exceedingly glad to break away from all this 
and get back to Urbana, there to rest my weary limbs 
on the soft carpet of grass at headquarters. As it 
was evident that we should be stationed at Urbana 
for some days. General Stuart, in order to establish 
a regular line of outposts, separated the different 
brigades of his command. Fitz Lee's was sent to 
the little town of Newmarket, about ten miles off ; 
Eobertson's, under Colonel Munford, was ordered to 
the neighbourhood of Sugar Loaf Mountain ; while 
Hampton's remained in the immediate vicinity of 
Urbana. The following morning we were waited upon 
by the dignitaries of the place, and received an invita- 



132 A PLEASANT EVENING. 

tion for dinner from a Mr G., with whom and his plea- 
sant family we soon became intimately acquainted. 

There were several very charming and pretty young 
ladies staying at Mr C.'s house, and among them one 
from New York, a relation of the family, on a visit 
to Urbana, whom General Stuart, from her warm 
outspoken Confederate sympathies, jokingly called 
the New York Eebel. In the agreeable conversation 
of these ladies, in mirth and song, the afternoon of our 
dinner-party passed lightly and rapidly away ; and 
then came night, queenly and beautiful, with a round 
moon, whose beams penetrating the windows sug- 
gested to our debonnair commander a promenade, 
which he at once proposed, and which was carried 
nem. con. Leaving to our fair friends the choice of 
their partners, we were guided by them to a large 
building, crowning the summit of a gentle hill on 
the edge of the village, from which a broad avenue 
of trees sloped downwards to the principal street. 
This building had been occupied before the breaking 
out of the war as an academy, but was now entirely 
deserted and dismantled, and our footsteps echoed 
loudly as we walked through its wide, empty halls, 
once so noisy with human voices. Each storey of the 
house had its ample verandah running round it, and 
from the highest of these we had a magnificent view 
of the village and the surrounding country. The 
night was calm, the dark blue firmament was be- 
sprinkled with myriads of stars, and the moon poured 
over the landscape a misty bluish light that made it 
all look unreal. One might have thought it a magical 
scenic effect of the theatre, or been carried back in 
imagination to the Thousand and One Nights of 
Eastern fable, had not the camp-fires of our troops 
and the constant neighing of the horses reminded him 
of the realities by which he was surrounded. 

We were indulging in the dreamy sentiment natural 
to the hour, when the gay voice of Stuart broke in — 
" Major, what a capital place for us to give a ball in 



PREPARATIONS FOR A BALL. 133 

honour of our arrival in Maryland ! don't you think 
we could manage it?" To this there was a unanimous 
response in the affirmative, which was especially 
hearty on the part of the ladies. It was at once 
agreed that the ball should be given. I undertook to 
make all necessary arrangements for the illumination 
and decoration of the hall, the issuing the cards of 
invitation, &c., leaving to Stuart the matter of the 
music, which he gladly consented to provide. 

A soldier's life is so uncertain, and his time is so 
little at his own disposal, that in affairs of this sort 
delays are always to be avoided ; and so we deter- 
mined on our way home, to the great joy of our fair 
companions, that the ball should come off on the 
following evening. 

There was great stir of preparation at headquarters 
on the morning of the 8th. Invitations to the ball 
were sent out to all the families in Urbana and its 
neighbourhood, and to the officers of Hampton's bri- 
gade. The large halls of the Academy were aired and 
swept and festooned with roses, and decorated with 
battle-flags borrowed from the different regiments. 
At seven in the evening all was complete, and already 
the broad avenue was filled with our fair guests, pro- 
ceeding to the scene of festivity according to their 
social rank and fortune — some on foot, others in 
simple light " rockaways," others again in stately 
family coaches, driven by fat negro coachmen who 
sat upon the box with great dignity. Very soon the 
sound of distant bugles announced the coming of the 
band of the 18th Mississippi Infantry, the Colonel 
and Staff of the regiment, who had been invited as 
an act of courtesy, leading the way, and the band 
playing in excellent style the well-known air of 
Dixie. Amid the loud applause of the numerous 
invited and uninvited guests, we now made our grand 
entree into the large hall, which was brilliantly lighted 
with tallow candles. As master of the ceremonies, it 
was my office to arrange the order of the different 



134 A DISAGREEABLE INTERRUPTION. 

dances, and I had decided upon a polka as the best 
for an animated beginning. I had selected the New 
York Eebel as the queen of the festival, and had 
expected to open the ball with her as my partner, 
and my surprise was great indeed when my fair 
friend gracefully eluded my extended arms, and with 
some confusion explained that she did not join in 
round dances, thus making me uncomfortably ac- 
quainted for the first time with the fact that in 
America, and especially in the South, young ladies 
rarely waltz except with brothers or first cousins, 
and indulge only in reels and contre- dances with 
strangers. Not to be baffled, however, I at once 
ordered the time of the music to be changed, and had 
soon forgotten my disappointment as to the polka in 
a very lively quadrille. Louder and louder sounded 
the instruments, quicker and quicker moved the 
dancers, and the whole crowded room, with its many 
exceedingly pretty women and its martial figures of 
officers in their best uniforms, presented a most strik- 
ing spectacle of gaiety and enjoyment. Suddenly 
enters an orderly covered with dust, and reports in a 
loud voice to General Stuart that the enemy have- 
surprised and driven in our pickets and are attacking 
our camp in force, while at the same moment the 
sound of shots in rapid succession is distinctly borne 
to us on the midnight air. 

The excitement which followed this announcement 
I cannot undertake to describe. The music crashed 
into a Concordia discors. The officers rushed to their 
weapons and called for their horses, panic-stricken 
fathers and mothers endeavoured in a frantic way to 
collect around them their bewildered children, while 
the young ladies ran to and fro in most admired 
despair. General Stuart maintained his accustomed 
coolness and composure. Our horses were imme- 
diately saddled, and in less than five minutes we were 
in rapid gallop to the front. Upon arriving there we 
found, as is usually the case in such sudden alarms, 



THE FOE REPELLED AND FESTIVITIES RESUMED. 135 

that things were by no means so desperate as they 
had been represented. 

Colonel Baker, with the splendid 1st North Caro- 
lina regiment, had arrested the bold forward move- 
ment of the Yankees. Pelham, with his guns in 
favourable position, was soon pouring a rapid fire 
upon their columns. The other regiments of the 
command were speedily in the saddle. The line of 
battle having been formed, Stuart gave the order for 
a general attack, and with great rage and fury we 
precipitated ourselves upon the foe, who paid, with 
the loss of many killed and wounded, and a consider- 
able number of prisoners, for their unmannerly in- 
terruption of our social amusement. They were pur- 
sued in their headlong flight for several miles by the 
1st North Carolina, until, a little past midnight, they 
got quite out of reach, and all was quiet again. 

It was about one o'clock in the morning when we 
got back to the Academy, where we found a great 
many of our fair guests still assembled, awaiting with 
breathless anxiety the result of the conflict. As the 
musicians had never dispersed. General Stuart or- 
dered them again to strike up ; many of our pretty 
fugitives were brought back by young officers who 
eagerly volunteered for that commendable purpose ; 
and as everybody was determined that the Yankees 
should not boast of having completely broken up our 
party, the dancing was resumed in less than half an 
hour, and kept up till the first glimmer of dawn. At 
this time the ambulances laden with the wounded of 
last night's engagement were slowly approaching the 
Academy, as the only building at Urbana that was at 
all suited to the purposes of an hospital. Of course 
the music was immediately stopped and the dancing 
ceased, and our lovely partners in the quadrille at 
once became "ministering angels" to the sufferers. 

Captain Blackford and I went down with our New 
York Eebel to an ambulance in which there was a 
poor fellow fearfully wounded by a ball in the shoul- 



136 THE DAY AFTER THE BALL. 

der. His uniform jacket was quite saturated with 
blood, and the tender white hands of our charming 
friend had just become fairly employed in the com- 
passionate office of stanching the wound and cooling 
the inflammation with applications of cold water, 
when her strength broke down and she fainted away. 
When after a few minutes she had recovered, we did 
our best to persuade her to go home; but with a 
courage equalling that of the warrior on the field of 
battle, she replied, " I must first do my duty." This 
she did bravely and tenderly, until the wounded man, 
greatly relieved by her ministrations, expressed his 
gratitude with tears streaming from his eyes, and 
begged her now to take care of herself Blackford 
and I accompanied the noble creature to the house 
of Mr C, and left her with the highest admiration 
for her tenderness and fortitude. 

The sun was high in the heavens when we rose 
from our camp pallets the following day. The sol- 
diers' slumber was naturally profound after the fa- 
tigues and adventures of a night when the ball-room 
had been so quickly deserted for the battle-field, and 
sanguinary conflict had in a moment succeeded to 
the dance. My first duty was to send back to the 
respective regiments their battle-flags, and I made all 
haste to discharge it. For once our troops had been 
called into action without their colours, and already 
many anxious inquiries had been instituted as to 
their safety. 

General Stuart and myself were invited to dine 
with the doctor of the place, at whose pleasant dwell- 
ing we passed a few hours most delightfully. The 
universal verandah looked out upon the same beauti- 
ful landscape that we had admired from other points, 
and afforded us a cool retreat for cigars and conver- 
sation. I became very much interested here with a 
young vagabond Indian about fourteen years of age, 
who was pertinacious in his efforts to sell me a pet 
grey squirrel which he had tamed. As the fellow 



M'CLELLAN SUCCEEDS POPE. 137 

seemed homeless and masterless, I had some idea of 
taking him along with me as a servant, and perhaps 
might have done so but for the earnest remonstrances 
of General Stuart, who, from his life in the prairie, 
was well acquainted with the Indian character, and 
knew only too well what incorrigible thieves the Eed- 
skins always prove. 

At a late hour of the afternoon the air was startled 
by the thunder of distant cannon, and we soon re- 
ceived a report from General Fitz Lee that he had 
been engaged in a brisk skirmish with the enemy's 
cavalry near the village of Barnesville. Tliis, how- 
ever, did not prevent us from spending the evening 
with our fair friends at Mr C.'s, nor from paying them 
the compliment of a serenade. But the time of inac- 
tivity for us was now soon to be over. Urbana was 
not to be our Capua, and the second day afterwards 
we bade adieu to what a punning member of the Staft' 
called its Urbana-ties with regret. 

One day more of rest at headquarters, the 10th, 
which gave some occupation, however, to Eobertson's 
brigade at Sugar Loaf Mountain, where Colonel Mim- 
ford engaged the Yankees in a sharp but unimportant 
skirmish. 

On the morning of the 11th we received marching 
orders. The aspect of military affairs had undergone 
a sudden but great change. General M'Clellan, who 
had again been intrusted by the Federal Government 
with the command of the Army of the Potomac, had 
collected together the remains of the army of the 
unfortunate Pope, and been largely reinforced by 
Burnside's corps from North Carolina, the troops 
around Washington, and the new levies. With a 
well-equipped and formidable force, he hurried for- 
ward to the relief of the garrison of Harper's Ferry, 
which stronghold had been closely invested by Jack- 
son. General Lee, with Longstreet's corps, had left 
the vicinity of Frederick, and was slowly retreating 
in the direction of Middletown and Boonsboro'. The 



138 COMMENCEMENT OF CUE RETREAT. 

cavalry, as the rear-guard of our army, had orders to 
retard and embarrass as much as possible the forward 
movement of the enemy, and to follow slowly the 
road taken by General Lee. The fighting of the pre- 
ceding two days had occurred with the cavalry of 
M'Clellan, which was a full day's march ahead of the 
main body of his army. 

A steadily falling rain, which gave us some dis- 
comfort in the saddle, added much to the dejection 
of spirits with which we got in readiness to move 
away from Urbana. About 11 a.m. Fitz Lee's brigade 
passed through the village on its way to Frederick ; 
Hampton's soon followed ; and only Eobertson's, under 
command of Colonel Munford, remained behind, cov- 
ering the retreat, and holding in check, at a distance 
of about five miles from the place, the rapid advance 
of the Yankee cavalry. Meanwhile I was kept riding 
to and fro directing the retreat in the name of the 
General, who, with the other members of the Staff, 
to my intense disgust, still lingered in the verandah 
with the ladies. 

About 2 P.M. our brave horsemen were pressed 
back by overwhelming numbers, at a point not more 
than half a mile from the village. The crack of the 
carbines was distinctly audible, and several shells, 
aimed too high, exploding just around the mansion, 
made it clear that the final moment of separation 
had indeed arrived. Great excitement now prevailed 
among the ladies, so soon to be again in the power 
of the detested Yankees, who, they had too much 
reason to fear, would punish severely the kindness 
and hospitality they had shown us. As for Mr C, 
he at once determined to ride off with us, and so we 
galloped out of the village, in the direction of Fre- 
derick, amid the tears of women and children, who 
stood waving handkerchiefs to us as long as we were 
in sight. Ten minutes later, Urbana was in the 
hands of the enemy. 

Having crossed the Monocacy, we took up a new 



CHANGED ASPECT OF FREDERICK TOWN. 139 

position on tlie opposite bank of that river. As the 
enemy did not advance that day beyond Urbana, the 
greater part of our cavalry encamped between that 
point and Frederick. About half a mile from the 
latter place we fixed our headquarters at the farm- 
house of an old Irishman, who amused us very much 
with his " buthiful brogue," and with whose pretty 
daughters — spirited Irish girls they were — we had 
a lively little dance at night. Early the next day 
(12th September) our scouts and patrols reported 
the enemy slowly advancing in strong force on the 
turnpike from IJrbana, and we received orders to 
retreat through Frederick over the mountains to 
Middletown, but to retard the Federal column as 
long as possible at Monocacy bridge, which was to 
be burned at the last moment. As they were moving 
so slowly that at 2 p.m. their advance-guard was not 
yet in sight. General Stuart rode with his Staff into 
Frederick, where we had been invited by several 
prominent citizens to dine. 

The appearance of the city had greatly changed 
since I had last seen it. The patriotic frenzy had 
completely subsided, and given place to an oppres- 
sive anxiety ; most of the houses were shut up, and 
the inhabitants, with sorrowful faces, were wander- 
ing about the streets, credulous of every idle rumour, 
and asking at every corner the most ridiculous ques- 
tions. Such of them as sympathised with the enemy 
could ill conceal their satisfaction at his approach ; 
and one of these, a Mr F., was impudent enough to 
hoist a Union flag from the flat roof of his three- 
storey house, where he might be seen making with 
it undeniable signals. Very much provoked at his 
treasonable conduct, I posted two of our best marks- 
men on the opposite side of the street, sending at 
the same time my best compliments to Mr F., with 
the message that I had given my men orders to shoot 
him if for a minute longer he continued his ofi'ensive 
course. Federal ensign and ardent Yankee sympa- 



140 GALLANT AND SUCCESSFUL CHARGE. 

thiser now disappeared very rapidly together, but I 
have every reason to believe that, later in the day, 
when we were compelled to leave the city in some 
haste, he expressed his thanks to me in a charge of 
buckshot, which rattled from the front door of his 
house around my head. 

Towards evening the enemy arrived in the imme- 
diate neighbourhood of Monocacy bridge, and, observ- 
ing only a small force at this point, advanced very 
carelessly. A six-pounder gun had been placed in 
position by them at a very short distance from the 
bridge, which fired from time to time a shot at our 
horsemen, while the foremost regiment marched 
along at their ease, as if they believed this small 
body of cavalry would soon wheel in flight. This 
favourable moment for an attack was seized in splen- 
did style by Major Butler, who commanded the two 
squadrons of the 2d South Carolina cavalry, stationed 
at this point as our rear-guard. Like lightning he 
darted across the bridge, taking the piece of artillery, 
which had scarcely an opportunity of firing a shot, 
and falling upon the regiment of infantry, which was 
dispersed in a few seconds, many of them being shot' 
down, and many others, among whom was the colonel 
in command, captured. The colours of the regiment 
also fell into Major Butler's hands. The piece of 
artillery, in the hurry of the moment, could not be 
brought over to our side of the river, as the enemy 
instantly sent forward a large body of cavalry at a 
gallop, and our dashing men had only time to spike 
it, and trot with their prisoners across the bridge, 
which, having been already fully prepared for burn- 
ing, was in a blaze when the infuriated Yankees 
arrived at the river's edge. The conflagration of the 
bridge, of course, checked their onward movement, 
and we quietly continued the retreat, which had 
been begun by the main column, under the annoy- 
ances only of a spirited shelling, which did us very 



DEFENCE OF THE PASS. 141 

little liarm, and of an irregular fusillade kept up by 
bush-whackers and citizens from the houses. 

The country between Frederick and Middletown 
is charming. The finest view of it is obtained from 
the Middletown Path, at the highest point of a wooded 
spur of the Blue Eidge Mountains that separates the 
two wide fertile valleys which are named from these 
towns. We could not resist stopping for a short 
time to look upon these beautiful and peaceful plains, 
which were so soon (in a few hours) to be the scene 
of an obstinate and sanguinary struggle. Our head- 
quarters were now established at a farmhouse near 
Middletown, where that evening we very much 
enjoyed a plum-pudding, which had been hurled as 
a beneficent bomb at Captain Blackford by a philan- 
thropic young lady of Frederick during our retreat 
through the streets of that city. 

The boom of artillery summoned us to the saddle 
at an early hour of the 13th, and we rode as rapidly 
as possible to the front, where Hampton with his 
brigade had been gallantly defending the Middle- 
town Path since daylight against vastly superior 
numbers of the enemy, and had, up to that moment, 
successfully repelled every attack. The position 
was extremely favourable for defence. No other 
passage to the right or the left led across the moun- 
tain-spur, and our two batteries, posted to great 
advantage, played with telling effect upon the numer- 
ous guns of the enemy in the open flat below, which, 
not being able to get the necessary elevation, proved 
almost harmless to us. Nevertheless it was evident 
that our small body of men would be soon obliged 
to give way before the overwhelming odds of the 
Yankees, who, just at the time we reached the spot, 
were preparing for a renewal of the assault under 
cover of an energetic fire from five or six batteries. 
At this juncture I was ordered by General Stuart 
to take one of our mountain howitzers— very light 



142 VIEW OF THE FIELD FROM THE HEIGHTS. 

guns, which often did excellent service upon difficult 
ground, and could easily be drawn by two horses — 
and try to find an eligible place on our extreme left 
from which we could open fire with it upon the 
dense columns of Yankee infantry. With a good 
deal of trouble, and after we had been obliged several 
times to cut our way through the thick undergrowth, 
I found a little plateau, of perhaps fifty feet in 
diameter, and in a few minutes the rapid discharges 
of our little gun announced to General Stuart that I 
was at work. 

The extended view from this plateau, which was 
the loftiest point of the mountain, rising from 1500 
to 2000 feet above the rolling country below, was 
strikingly beautiful under all favourable conditions 
of atmosphere, but was now animated in the extreme. 
Frederick lay before us, distinctly seen through the 
clear air of the morning. The valley beneath, stretch- 
ing away from the immediate base of the mountain, 
was literally blue with the Yankees. All at once 
their long columns of infantry with a waving glitter 
of bayonets, their numerous bodies of cavalry with 
" many a flirt and flutter " of gay flags and pennons, 
their imposing artillery - trains with the sunlight 
reflected from the polished brass pieces, and their 
interminable lines of waggons containing all the 
supplies for M'Clellan's army, broke upon my sight. 

Directly beneath my feet the masses of the enemy 
were as busy as a swarm of bees. Two lines of 
sharpshooters were advancing in excellent style ; the 
cavalry galloped hither and thither, seeking to get 
out of range of our cannon, while their numerous 
batteries, under the galling effect x)f our fire, were 
every moment changing position. The fire of my 
howitzer from a point hitherto regarded as inacces- 
sible, plunging at this short range with fearful execu- 
tion into the compact ranks of the enemy, greatly 
augmented the commotion. Several batteries at once 
opened upon us, but so far overshot their mark that 



WE ARE NEARLY CUT OFF. 143 

at every fire my cannoneers threw their kepis into 
the air with loud yells of derision. 

Meanwhile I had sent an orderly to General Stuart, 
reporting the state of affairs, and expressing my 
opinion that the time had come for our retreat. The 
General soon arrived upon the spot and gave orders 
for the withdrawal of the mountain howitzer ; but as 
he had not seen the lines of the advancing infantry 
skirmishers, who had already disappeared in the 
thick underwood below us, he did not share in my 
opinion as to the danger of our situation. The firing 
of small-arms now became louder and louder on our 
right, and seemed to proceed from a point even a 
little to the rear of the place we occupied. Annoyed 
at my continued remonstrances, Stuart at last said — 
" Major, I am quite sure those shots come from our 
own men, who are firing at far too great a range ; 
ride over there at once and order them to reserve 
their ammunition until they can see the whites of the 
Yankees' eyes." I knew very well that it was rush- 
ing into a wasp's nest, but orders were to be obeyed, 
and, making my way as quickly as the nature of the 
ground would admit, I proceeded to the scene of 
action, giving my orders in a loud voice as I heard 
several men breaking down the tangled thicket near 
at hand. . In a moment the bushes before me parted, 
and a Yankee, as blue as ever I saw one, emerged 
from them. At the same instant a bullet tore the 
bark from a tree behind me at a very few inches from 
my head, and several other tirailleurs made their 
appearance ; and I had just time to turn my horse 
and gallop back to General Stuart, who now fully 
credited my report, and made off with me as fast as 
our chargers could carry us over the rocky surface 
of the mountain. The Yankees, knowing very well 
that there was a noble game afoot, now advanced 
their whole line at a run, and with loud cries of en- 
couragement, towards an open space over which we 
must ride, and where a shower of bullets fell around 



144 OUll CONTINUED RETREAT. 

T13, fortunately without touching a rider or a horse. 
The order for our general retreat was now given, and 
executed at a quick trot. I expected every moment 
to hear the roar of the Yankee artillery, which from 
the heights behind us must have inflicted very serious 
loss upon our column ; but General Hampton, with 
admirable foresight, had so well barricaded the roads 
that we were out of range before they had gained our 
former position. It was now two o'clock in the 
afternoon, and as the fighting had commenced at four 
in the morning, we had for ten hours, with a few 
thousand horse and ten pieces of artillery, resisted 
the advance of the whole Federal army, with consid- 
erable damage to them and little to ourselves. 

JS'ear Middletown we took up a new position. The 
1st North Carolina regiment, under Colonel Baker, 
and two pieces of artillery, were placed in front of 
the village, the other regiments and guns on the 
opposite side, behind a little stream known as Kit- 
tochtan Creek. The covered wooden bridge which 
spanned the stream was prepared with combustibles 
for destruction. General Stuart and myself rode 
forward a short distance in the direction of the 
enemy, whom we saw winding do^ai from the moun- 
tain and stretching out over the plain in a mighty 
moving mass of blue. The fight was soon recom- 
menced. The thunder of cannon roared incessantly, 
and as the enemy's guns had now the advantage of 
more favourable positions, which admitted of their 
being effectively employed in yet greater number, we 
suffered severely from their fire. At the same time 
the wings of the Yankee army, thrown rapidly for- 
ward, overlapped us on either flank, and our brave 
North Carolinians were thus subjected to a most de- 
structive cross-fire before General Stuart gave the 
order for retreat, which, in consequence of the mur- 
derous tempest of shot and shell that raged around 
them, was not conducted in a very orderly manner. 
In my judgment our admirable General here betrayed 



THE BRIDGE PEEMATUKELY FIEED. 145 

a fault wliicli was one of the few he had as a cavalry 
leader ; and the repetition of the error on several 
occasions, at later periods of the war, did us material 
damage. His own personal gallantry would not 
permit him to abandon the field and retreat, even 
when sound military prudence made this clearly 
advisable. There was no necessity whatever, here, 
for the safety of the main body, to sacrifice a smaller 
command, for we might have withdrawn with honour 
long before the enemy's fire had so cruelly thinned 
our ranks. "^^ 

I was one of the last horsemen that galloped 
through the town, and had a painfully accurate sight 
of the confusion and destruction that attended the 
retreat. The Yankee artillery threw a withering 
hail of shells along the main street of Middletown, 
from every by-street whistled the bullets of the 
sharpshooters, in our rear thundered the attack of 
the pursuing cavalry, while from the houses the 
Unionists fired at us with buck-shot and small- 
shot, and many fallen horses and riders impeded 
the road. The panic reached its height when we 
arrived at the bridge and found it blazing, through 
the premature execution of his orders by the officer 
in charge. Many of our horsemen leaped into the 
rapid stream and gained the opposite bank by swim- 
ming. For myself, with many of my companions-in- 
arms, I forced my horse through fire and smoke across 
the burning bridge, which, very soon after we had 
passed over it, fell with a loud crash into the water. 

The hotly - pursuing enemy were now received 
upon the opposite bank with a deadly fire from our 
Avell-posted sharpshooters, and showers of canister 
from our artillery, which brought them to a stop ; 
and after a heavy cannonade that lasted for more than 
an hour, we continued our retreat quietly towards 
the South Mountain, in the direction of Boonsboro'. 
The Federal cavalry managed the crossing of the 
Kittochtan with commendable expedition, and were 

K 



146 DEATH OF GENERAL GARLAND. 

soon again on our tracks, but the two pieces de- 
tached to our rear-guard kept them at a respectful 
distance by occasional discharges of grape and can- 
ister. We reached the part of the South Mountain 
known as Bradlock's Gap in the evening, and, just 
as we were taking another new position, were 
relieved by our infantry, which soon afterwards 
became hotly engaged with the enemy in a serious 
conflict. The foremost brigade of troops that re- 
lieved us was commanded by a dear friend of mine, 
General Samuel Garland, whom I met riding to the 
front, in buoyant spirits and confident of success. 
Ten minutes later he fell a corpse while trying to 
rally his men, who had momentarily given way at 
the first assault of the enemy. He was killed in- 
stantly, a bullet having pierced his brain. 

Hampton, with his brigade, was now sent in the 
direction of Harper's Ferry, and had several en- 
counters on the way with the Federal cavalry, 
against which the Georgia regiment of his command 
made a most brilliant and successful charge near 
the little town of Burkettsville, led by the gallant 
Lieutenant- Colonel Young, who was unfortunately 
wounded. General Stuart and his Staff rode to 
Boonsboro', which we reached at niglitfall, and 
where we rejoined a portion of Fitz Lee's brigade. 
Here we were greatly distressed at learning that the 
leader of our horse-artillery, Ma jor Pel ham, who had 
marched with Fitz Lee, had been cut otf, and was 
a prisoner in the enemy's hands. He turned up, 
however, the next morning, having cut his way 
through the Yankee lines, and saved himself by his 
never-failing coolness and intrepidity. Our head- 
quarters were established near Boonsboro', and we 
were glad enough to rest our weary limbs and ex- 
hausted horses after the fatiguing work of the day. 

We moved on the 14th, making an early start, in the 
direction of Harper's Ferry, to reunite with Hamp- 
ton's and Kobertson's brigades, the latter of which 



H^ 



cy^/sf^ ■ "" 



r/U'h 



SIEGE OF HAEPERS FERRY BY JACKSON. 147 

had been already two days on the march for tha,t 
point. Harper's Ferry is a stronghold of no little im- 
portance, most picturesquely situated on the Virginia 
side of the Potomac, just where this noble river re- 
ceives the bright waters of its tributary the Shenan- 
doah, and, augmented in volume thereby, breaks 
through the Blue Eidge. Here the United States 
Government had, many years before the war, estab- 
lished a very large arsenal and manufactory of small- 
arms. The Baltimore and Ohio Eailway runs along 
the Potomac past the place, crossing from the Mary- 
land to the Virginia bank at the immediate point of 
confluence of the two rivers ; and a railway, connect- 
ing Harper's Ferry with Winchester, skirts the mar- 
gin of the Shenandoah, and reaches its terminus at 
the extensive wayside station of the great line of com- 
munication between the Chesapeake and the Ohio. 
Around the workshops of the arsenal and the sheds 
of the railways a little town had grown up, built 
partly upon a narrow tract of level ground but little 
elevated above the rocky bed of the Potomac, and 
partly upon a lofty hill looking down upon either 
stream. This eminence is itself commanded on the 
Maryland side by the towering cliffs of the Blue 
Eidge known as the Maryland Heights, a position 
which had been strongly fortified, for the obvious 
reason that whoever became master of it might with 
little difficulty obtain possession of Harper's Ferry 
and all that it contained. 

Jackson, after leaving Frederick with his corps, 
had crossed the Potomac with a large portion of it, 
and closely invested this stronghold, with its gar- 
rison of nearly 13,000 men, on three sides. A divi- 
sion of Longstreet's corps, under M'Laws, had been 
sent to attack !and shut it up on the Maryland 
side, and now occupied the fertile tract of country 
which is enclosed by the continuation of the Mary- 
land Heights and the South Mountain spur of the 
Blue Eidge. The two ranges run nearly parallel for 



148 POSITIONS OF THE CONFEDERATE FORCES. 

a little distance from the river, with an interven- 
ing space of about two miles in breadth, but the 
South Mountain branches off in the neighbourhood 
of Boonsboro', forming what is called the " Pleasant 
VaUey." 

At Boonsboro', General Lee found himself, with 
the remaining portion of his army under Longstreet, 
confronting the bulk of the army of INI'Clellan, which 
was rapidly advancing to the succour of Harper's 
Terry. The passes over the South Mountain were 
all held by us, and were easily defensible. General 
Stuart had orders with two of his brigades to unite 
with M'Laws, and to reconnoitre and watch the 
enemy's movements, the other brigade, Fitz Lee's, 
having been detached from his command to the 
corps of Longstreet. 

AVe reached Pleasant Valley in the afternoon, and 
our cavalry encamping there, General Stuart and I 
rode over to the headquarters of Brigadier-General 
Pryor, who commanded the left wing of M'Laws's 
division nearest to Harper's Ferry. General Pryor 
was just starting on a little reconnaissance, and we 
very readily accepted his invitation to bear him com- 
pany. A proper degree of caution compelled us to 
go on foot. Creeping through the tall grass, we 
climbed the mountain occupied by our farthest out- 
post, from the summit of which we had an unob- 
structed view of the whole fortification. We could 
see the stir and bustle within the walls, mark the 
steps of each man, and even count the pieces of 
artillery. The look-out from this lofty perch would 
well have rewarded the toil of the ascent in the 
inactive time of peace ; but the preparation and 
excitement of war, upon whose busy scenes we gazed 
in the distance, now combined with nature in her 
grandest mood to make the sight magnificent. 

At a later hour of the evening Stuart rode off to 
the headquarters of General M'Laws, leaving me to 
await his return as General Pryor's guest at dinner. 



NIGHT-SCENE ON THE FIELD. 149 

Among General Pryor's orderlies there was a hand- 
some young fellow of about fourteen years of age 
who greatly interested me. He was a midshipman 
in the navy, who, making a visit to our lines at this 
exciting period, had volunteered his services, and had 
behaved on several occasions, as I was informed, 
with great gallantry. He was now galloping about 
on a Little pony, and seemed highly elated with his 
temporary position. Two days afterwards the brave 
boy was killed in the battle of Sharpsburg (Antie- 
tam). 

About dusk we were joined again by General 
Stuart, and I was just about to ride away with him 
to select a convenient spot for our night's rest, when 
the thunder of cannon, which had been sounding all 
the evening from M'Laws's right, grew fiercer and 
fiercer; and an orderly galloped up to us at full 
speed, reporting in a very excited manner that the 
enemy had repulsed our troops at Crampton's Gap, 
one of the passes of the South Mountain, broken 
through our lines, and already thrown several thou- 
sand men into the valley, thus cutting us off com- 
pletely from Longstreet's corps. We started imme- 
diately, as fast as our horses could carry us, for the 
point where the disaster had occurred. In a very 
short time we were called upon to witness a scene of 
the most mortifying panic and confusion. Hundreds 
of soldiers, many of them wounded, were arriving 
in disorderly array from the fight, while guns and 
caissons, huddled together with waggons and ambu- 
lances, moving towards the rear, blocked up the road. 
We at once posted a strong guard along the road, 
with orders to arrest every man who was not too 
badly hurt to renew the conflict, and, taking the 
artillery with us, continued our ride. After about an 
hour's progress we reached the spot, where General 
C., an ex-politician and agriculturist, who had com- 
manded the troops at Crampton's Gap, was vainly 
endeavouring to rally the remainder of his brigade. 



X^^ ^ iv^'-jyv (^ ^yfCi 



150 RECONNOITRING THE ENEMY. 

The poor General was in a state of the saddest excite- 
ment and disgust at the conduct of his men. As soon 
as he recognised us in the dusk of the evening, he 
cried out in heartbroken accents of alarm and despair, 
" Dismount, gentlemen, dismount, if your lives are 
dear to you ! the enemy is within fifty yards of us ; 
I am expecting their attack every moment ; oh ! my 
dear Stuart, that I should live to experience such a 
disaster ! what can be done ? what can save us ? " 
General Stuart did his best to comfort and encourage 
his disconsolate friend, assisted him in rallying his 
scattered troops, and quickly placed in position all 
the artillery. Then turning to me, he said, " Major, 
I don't believe the Yankees are so near at hand, but 
we must be certain about it ; take two couriers with 
you, and find out at once where the enemy is." My 
General was very fond of sending me on these ticklish 
expeditions, and much as I appreciated the honour 
thus paid me, I did not feel greatly obliged to him on 
this particular occasion, as I rode forward into the 
darkness, feeling that I should run a narrow chance 
of being shot by our men on my return, if, indeed, 
I escaped the bullets of the Yankees. Cautiously I 
proceeded, fifty yards, a hundred, two hundred yards, 
— everything quiet; not a trace of the enemy: at last, 
after a ride of more than a mile, I discovered the long 
lines of the Federal camp-fires, where Messieurs the 
Yankees had halted, and were busily employed in 
cooking supper ; and at sixty yards' distance I could 
see in the road a cavalry picket, clearly defined against 
the glare of the fires, horse and trooper, who seemed 
to have no idea of our approach. Leaving the hostile 
sentry undisturbed, w^e rode quietly back to our lines, 
where the Generals awaited my return with the great- 
est interest and anxiety. In the mean time General 
M'Laws had arrived with reinforcements, our line of 
battle was formed, and several batteries in favourable 
position were ready for action. As it was evident, 
however, that the enemy did not intend making any 



CAPTURE OF harper's FERRY. 151 

further forward movement until the next day, General 
Stuart and I soon galloped back to our cavalry, with 
whom we bivouacked during the remaining hours of 
the night. 

The air was sultry when at daybreak of the 15tli 
September we marched towards the front, with 
hearts oppressed by the uncertainty of the events 
of the next few hours. Our position was indeed a 
perilous one : shut up in a narrow gorge, the garrison 
of Harper's Ferry, 13,000 strong (which, should Jack- 
son fail in his siege, a matter to be decided before 
sunset, would inevitably fall upon us), in our rear, 
an enemy vastly superior in numbers on our front, 
we must gain the doubtful victory or perish in Plea- 
sant Valley, the very name of which might mock our 
ruin. Every man felt this, and our lines, generally 
hopeful and cheery before an engagement, looked 
glum and desperately resolute to-day. The heavy 
silence of the march was broken only by the measured 
tramp of the column, the rumbling of the artillery- 
waggons, and the booming of the heavy guns from 
Harper's Ferry, which reverberated like rolling thun- 
der through the surrounding mountains. 

General Stuart, who moved with the cavalry to 
the extreme left, ordered me to remain and establish 
myself with twelve of our couriers on an elevation 
near our centre, from this point to reconnoitre the 
enemy's movements as much as possible, and to send 
him information every five minutes. About 10 
o'clock the Federals commenced to move ; their 
cavalry skirmishers advanced, and the lines of their 
infantry tirailleurs came in sight. The decisive 
moment had arrived, and every hand closed more 
firmly round its weapon. Already shots began to 
be exchanged, when suddenly a cry of joy, louder 
than the roar of cannon, commenced by our reserves 
and answered from one end of our lines to the other, 
brought delight to our hearts and carried despair to 
the foe, whose insolent advance it brought quickly to 



152 IMPORTANCE OF ITS FALL. 

a halt-^'' Harper's Ferry has surrendered to Jack- 
son!" In a few moments, an ofl&cer galloping 
towards us, his horse covered with foam and reeking 
with sweat, brought the ofiicial intelligence, which, 
passing from mouth to mouth with the rapidity of 
the wind, had already reached us by rumour. I at 
once sent a courier with the information to Stuart, 
and I had no occasion to enjoin upon him celerity 
in his movements. The faithful fellow speedily 
returned, and, with features lighted up by intense 
gratification, said to me, " Major, that was the 
quickest and the happiest ride of my life." 

The enemy seemed completely paralysed by the 
shouts of our troops, and as we soon received re- 
inforcements from Jackson's corps, and began to 
assume the offensive, they retreated rapidly along 
the road by which they had advanced. Stuart now 
came back to us, and was so delighted that he threw 
his arms round my neck and said, '' My dear Von, 
is not this glorious? you must immediately gallop 
over with me to congratulate old Stonewall on his 
splendid success." Captain Farley, Captain Black- 
ford, and Lieutenant Dabney joined us, and after a 
short and rapid ride we reached the magnificent 
scene of our magnificent victory, just in time to 
witness the formal ceremony of the surrender of the 
garrison, a sight which was certainly one of the 
grandest I ever saw in my life. 

From what I have already said of Harper's Ferry, 
the reader who has never visited the spot may have 
learned that in regard to natural beauty it is ex- 
ceeded by few localities on the surface of the globe. 
From the bed of the tAvo rivers which here mingle 
their sparkling currents, the mountains rise pre- 
cipitously to the height of several thousand feet. 
Within the fortifications is an extensive plateau, 
from which these bold headlands are seen in all 
their magnitude and majesty. Here the entire gar- 
rison of 13,000 men was drawn up in imposing lines 



GREAT SPOILS SECURED AT IT. 153 

presenting, witli their well-kept equipments, their 
new uniforms and beautiful banners, a striking con- 
trast to Jackson's gaunt and ragged soldiers, who 
formed opposite to them, and whose tattered gar- 
ments and weather-beaten features showed only too 
plainly the hardships they had undergone. To the 
long roll of the drums, the two armies came to a 
"present arms," and then the Federal troops laid 
down their standards and weapons, which were at 
once taken possession of by our men. The spoils 
captured at Harper's Ferry were enormous. Besides 
this large number of prisoners, there fell into our 
hands 70 pieces of artillery, about 30,000 small- 
arms, and an immense quantity of ammunition, 
provisions, tents, waggons, ambulances, machinery 
in machine-shops, horses, and mules. 

Colonel Miles, the commanding officer at Harper's 
Ferry, a short time before the surrender, had lost 
both his legs by a cannon-ball, and died soon after 
sustaining this severe injury. A strong regiment 
of cavalry, numbering about 1100 men, had made 
good its escape the previous night by a road along the 
river bank, very little known, which M'Laws, against 
Stuart's urgent advice, had neglected to picket. 
General Jackson appeared quite satisfied with his 
success, but when I congratulated him upon it, he 
said, " Ah, this is all very well. Major, but we have 
yet much hard work before us." And indeed we 
had. That same evening the troops were again on 
the march to Sharpsburg, where General Lee was 
rapidly concentrating his army, and where a great 
decisive battle was expected to be fought during the 
next twenty-four hours. We had yet to learn how 
great a misfortune was the escape of the cavalry 
regiment the night before the surrender. During 
the night, under its bold leader, Colonel Davis, it 
came accidentally in contact with Longstreet's ord- 
nance trains, capturing and destroying a great number 
of the waggons and stampeding the whole of the teams. 



154 AN AMUSING SCENE. 

Eiding over the plateau from point to point, 1 
witnessed a ridiculous scene, which nearly proved 
tragical to a Yankee officer. Jackson had granted 
to the officers of the garrison permission to retain 
their side-arms and horses. Some of our men, 
ignorant of this fact, had just surrounded a Federal 
captain, summoning him to dismount and give up 
his arms. The captain, highly offended, had drawn 
his revolver from the holster, declaring, in a very 
excited manner, that he would kill anybody that 
approached him. He did not know with whom he 
had to deal, and did not see the uplifted musket of a 
wild-looking fellow from a Mississippi regiment who 
was just about to shoot him down. Fortunately I 
arrived just in time to save him by explaining to the 
soldiers the mistake they had committed. 

What with riding about the fortifications and look- 
ing at this and that object of interest, the day wore 
quickly away, and it was five o'clock in the afternoon 
when I fell in with Captain Blackford and Lieutenant 
Dabney and some of our couriers, who told me that 
General Stuart had gone off some hours before with 
Hampton's and Eobertson's brigades, proceeding along 
the tow-path of the canal on the Maryland side of 
the river to Sharpsburg, leaving orders for us to join 
him there during the night. We started immediately, 
and taking the shorter and more agreeable route on 
the Virginia side to Shepherdstown, where the river 
might be easily forded, and only a few miles from 
our destination, reached the ford after nightfall, where 
the scene presented to the eye was wild and beautiful 
beyond description. On either bank of the noble 
stream, here half a mile in width, had bivouacked 
the troops of Jackson's corps, whose thousands of 
camp-fires were reflected in the water, and threw a 
bright glare over the fantastic figures of the soldiers, 
bringing also into strange and vivid relief the gigan- 
tic trees that edged the shore, with their swaying 
foliage and their gracefully pensile vines. In the 



OUR POSITION AT SHARPSBTJKG. 155* 

ruins of a large mill which had belonged to a friend 
of mine, Col. A. R Boteler, and which had been 
burned by the enemy, a Mississippi regiment had 
taken up its quarters, and I could not help being re- 
minded by the wild-looking long-bearded men, with 
their slouch hats, their blankets thrown over their 
shoulders, and their polished arms glittering in the 
red glow of the bivouac-fire, of the rude robber and 
gipsy of the olden time. "" 

We managed the fording of the Potomac without 
trouble or delay, and arrived late in the night at the 
little town of Sharpsburg. General Stuart had fixed 
his headquarters at the house of Dr G., where we 
stretched our weary limbs on the floor of the entrance- 
hall, using our saddles for pillows. 

16th September. — General Lee was now in readiness 
to meet the mighty Federal host. Longstreet having 
retreated from Boonsboro', where his corps had a 
severe engagement with the enemy's advance, towards 
Sharpsburg, had there united with Jackson's troops, 
which had come down during the night from Har- 
per's Ferry ; and our army was in line of battle on 
the morning of the 16th, about half a mile in front 
of the town towards Antietam Creek, the right wing 
extending about a mile in a north-easterly direction, 
the extreme left resting on the Potomac. M'Clellan, 
moving forward from Boonsboro', was still on the 
opposite side of the Creek, but his attempt to cross 
and the consequent battle were hourly expected. A 
mistake has been made here by several writers who 
had not the advantage of taking part in the events 
they describe, in stating that none of Jackson's forces 
had ejected a junction with Lee before the battle of 
Antietam. Our great leader had been too cautious 
to neglect the concentration of his troops, which had 
been partially accomplished by forced marches. A 
portion of Jackson's corps had, indeed, been left by 
the main body at Harper's Ferry, but they arrived on 
the field the night preceding the general engagement. 



^. 



156 BOMBARDMENT OF SHAEPSBURG. 

M'Laws's division, which had also remained behind, 
did not join in the conflict, by reason of the slowness 
of its commander, until the latter part of the day. 
General Stuart started on the morning of the IGtJa, 
the day before the great battle, with a part of his 
cavalry, on a reconnaissance up the Potomac, leaving 
me with ten of our couriers at headquarters, with 
orders to receive and open all reports and de- 
spatches addressed to him, and to forward any 
important information to Generals Lee, Jackson, 
and Longstreet. 

Sharpsburg is a pretty little village of perhaps two 
thousand inhabitants. It presented, during these 
memorable September days, a busy scene of military 
life. Waggon-trains blockaded its streets, artillery 
rattled over its pavements, orderlies were riding up 
and down at full speed. The house of Dr G, one of 
the largest in the place, was situated just opposite 
the principal church, and was still occupied by his 
hospitable family, who awaited with an indifference 
peculiarly American the momentous events that w^ere 
so close upon them. About 11 a.m. the enemy began 
to throw shells into the town, which, being aimed at 
the church steeple, fell all around their dwelling in 
such perilous proximity that I felt it my duty to 
order the ladies into the cellar, as the safest place of 
refuge. This order they obeyed, but, impelled by 
feminine curiosity, they were running up-stairs every 
five minutes to witness the effect of the cannonade. 
I had frequent occasion during the war to observe 
how much stronger is curiosity with women than the 
fear of danger. Accordingly, while the fire was every 
moment growing hotter, it was not long before the 
whole of Dr G's family were again assembled in the 
room I occupied. AU at once, while they were look- 
ing out of the windows at some wounded men carried 
by, a shell fell with a terrific crash through the top of 
the building, and sent them in precipitate flight to 
the security of the vaults. About noon the bombard- 



CONFUSION IN THE TOWN. 157 

raent became really appalling, and the explosion of 
the innumerable projectiles stunned the ear. Still 
deeming it obligatory on me to remain at my post, I 
was seated on the sofa engaged in writing in my 
journal, when a shell, piercing the wall of the room 
a few feet above my head, covered me with the debris, 
and, exploding, scattered the furniture in every direc- 
tion. At the same moment another missile, entering 
the upper part of the house, and passing directly 
through, burst in the courtyard, killing one of our 
horses, and rendering the others frantic with terror. 
Eegarding further exposure of my own life and the 
lives of my couriers as now unnecessary, I gave orders 
for our immediate departure ; but it was not easy, 
amid the blinding dust and smoke out of doors, to 
find my horse, nor, after I had found him, to get into 
the saddle, so furiously did he rear and plunge, as if 
fully conscious of the danger of his situation. 

In the street there was the greatest confusion. 
Dead and wounded men and horses lay about* in 
every direction, in the midst of waggons and am- 
bulances overturned in the hurry and anxiety of 
everybody to get out of the village, where cannon- 
balls whizzed incessantly through the air, and pieces 
of bursting shells, splinters of wood, and scattered 
fragments of brick were whirled about in the dense 
cloud of powder-smoke that enveloped all things. 
After an exciting ride of a quarter of an hour, 
during which my nerves were strained to the utmost, 
I gained an eminence beyond the town, and was 
happy to find that my followers, one and all, had, 
like myself, escaped death as by a miracle. My 
horse had been the only sufferer. A piece of shell 
had struck him in the right hind leg, and he went 
lame and bleeding. 

Everybody was under the impression that this 
bombardment was the signal for a general battle ; 
but after the batteries all along the lines had been 
engaged in a spirited artillery duel, and on our right 



158 FORCES ON BOTH SIDES. 

even the roll of musketigr liad been heard for some 
time, the din of conflict gave way to a dull, drowsy- 
silence, interrupted only at intervals by a random 
cannon-shot booming through the hot evening air. 
With great difficulty I at last found General Stuart, 
late in the evening, at the headquarters of General 
Lee. He appointed to meet Captain Blackford and 
myself in an hour's time, at a church about two 
miles from Sharpsburg, to which place of rendezvous 
we repaired ; but the General came not. Having 
waited long for him, we finally rode off a short 
distance, and made our bivouac for the night on 
some stacks of straw, which seemed to offer the 
most comfortable spot for repose. 

11 til September. — We obtained but little sleep. 
Occasional shots were fired all night in our neigh- 
bourhood. To add to our discomfort, a fine drizzling 
rain, which began to fall about daybreak, wet us to 
the skin, and, chilled as we were, we had no break- 
fast to reinvigorate us for the field. In the morning 
we discovered General Stuart, who had bivouacked 
quite near us, and, at his request, I rode with him 
along our line of battle, which stretched out, nearly 
four miles in length, over several of the little hills 
so frequent in this rolling country, and sheltered 
from the enemy's view by many patches of wood 
and extensive corn-fields. The strength of Lee's 
army was always over-estimated throughout the 
war, but more so at Sharpsburg than in any other 
great battle that he fought. I have it from our great 
commander's own lips that he had less than forty 
thousand men with liim in the conflict; and as 
M'Laws's division, numbering 7000 men, and some 
other small detached bodies of troops, did not join 
in the action until a late period of the day, he com- 
menced this tremendous struggle with not more 
than 30,000 men, the Federal army, according to 
General M'Clellan's own statement, amoimting to 
not less than 90,000. Our force had been greatly 



COMMENCEMENT OF THE BATTLE. 159 

reduced by the continuous fighting of the campaign, 
by the long and wearisome marches it had made, 
and the cruel hardships it had undergone. From 
these several causes it had happened that a great 
multitude of stragglers were left behind on the 
Virginia side of the Potomac, of whom thousands 
had been collected together in the immediate neigh- 
bourhood of Leesburg alone. I could not help 
expressing to General Stuart, as we passed the thin 
lines of our ragged, weather-beaten soldiers, many 
of them without shoes, that I did not think our 
army equal to the impending contest, and that I felt 
great anxiety as to the result ; but he was in good 
hope, and said, with his accustomed cheerfulness, " 1 
am confident that, with God's assistance and good 
fighting, we shall whip these Yankees badly enough." 
Jackson commanded our left wing, General Lee 
himself had taken charge of the centre, and Long- 
street commanded the right. Of our cavalry, 
Eobertson's brigade, under Colonel Munford, was 
detached to the extreme right, Fitz Lee's and Hamp- 
ton's were held in reserve on the extreme left, which, 
as before stated, rested on the Potomac. The fight- 
ing commenced soon after daybreak, and was raging 
in full fury on the left with Jackson's corps at seven 
o'clock in the morning. From the nature of the 
ground, our cavalry could take but little part in the 
active operations of the day ; but the indefatigable 
Stuart, always eager to be at the place of most 
imminent danger, had obtained from Jackson, who 
had unbounded confidence in him, the charge of the 
left wing of his corps, and having concentrated there 
about twenty-five pieces of cannon, consisting prin- 
cipally of our horse-artillery, pressed boldly forward 
with his guns, and, by a most effective flank fire, 
did great damage to the enemy. The Yankees soon 
responded fiercely to this cannonade, and with such 
terrible effect that I was in constant anxiety for the 
life of my general, who was always where the car- 



160 DESPERATE NATURE OF THE CONFLICT. 

nage was greatest, and at whose side two of our best 
couriers had already been killed. 

The enemy concentrated the whole weight of his 
attack upon Jackson's centre, which for a time gave 
way, and was driven back through a large patch of 
forest that had been gallantly defended. But the 
grim Stonewall soon rallied his men, and, having 
been reinforced, drove back the Yankees in his turn 
for several miles with great slaughter. About mid- 
day I was sent by General Stuart to our cavalry 
with orders that they should press forward, in cor- 
responding movement with the infantry, up the 
bank of the Potomac. At the moment of passing 
the 3d Virginia Cavalry, as I was exchanging some 
friendly words with its gallant commander, Colonel 
Thornton, a piece of a shell tore oft' his left arm 
very near to . the shoulder, from which wound he 
died in great agony a few hours afterwards. By 
the time I had returned to my general, the fighting 
in Jackson's front had ceased a little, and both the 
combatants seemed to be taking breath after the 
terrible struggle that had been maintained with such 
resolution for hours ; but on our right, where, up to 
this moment, all had been comparatively quiet, the 
firing grew louder and more continuous. Long- 
street, hard pressed by the superior numbers of the 
enemy, had been giving way slowly, but defending 
the ground, like a wounded lion, foot by foot, until, 
receiving reinforcements at the outskirts of Sharps- 
burg, he recovered his lost ground after a severe and 
sanguinary combat. 

The little town of Sharpsburg was unfortunately 
set on fire by the Federal shells, and a portion of it 
utterly destroyed ; and throughout the evening the 
sky was reddened by the glare of the conflagration. 
Our centre was much less engaged than the two 
wings, and the fighting there consisted mainly in a 
terrible cannonade, during which our guns, advan- 
tageously posted, poured a most destructive fire into 



LOSSES ON BOTH SIDES. 161 

the enemy's ranks. In Jackson's front, the conflict 
was only moderately renewed during the later part 
of the day, and was carried on principally with 
artillery. Here, and elsewhere along the lines, all 
was going on so favourably for our arms, that we 
might well claim to be the victors when the sunset 
streamed over the ensanguined field, and the rapidly- 
following darkness put an end to the fearful strife. 
Every inch of the ground lost by Longstreet at noon 
had been recovered. Our centre had greatly gained 
gtound. On our left the enemy had been pushed 
back for nearly two miles. And we remained 
masters of the entire field of battle covered with the 
enemy's dead and wounded. 

The victory would certainly have been more com- 
plete, had not General M'Laws failed to obey orders 
in bringing his division of nearly 7000 men earlier 
into the fight, and by the tardiness of his movements 
to a considerable extent thwarted the combinations 
of his commander-in-chief Our troops fought better 
than ever on this glorious day ; and it was astonish- 
ing to see men without shoes, whose lacerated feet 
often stained their path witli blood, limping to the 
front to conquer or fall with their comrades. The 
spoils of the victory were not great. A few prisoners 
and guns were taken. As for our loss, it had indeed 
been heavy, amounting to not less than 2000 killed 
and 6000 wounded ; including among the former, 
two general of&cers, Generals Branch and Starke. 
The Federals having been the assailants, their loss 
was yet more severe, reaching the terrible aggregate 
of 12,000 dead or disabled men. Their sacrifice of 
officers had been serious. Generals Mansfield and 
Eeno were killed, and twelve other generals were 
among the wounded. Late in the evening, I re- 
ceived orders from General Stuart to take with me a 
regiment of infantry and some squadrons of cavalry, 
and establish a double line of pickets on our extreme 
left, along the margin of the Potomac, there to 

L 



162 DESTRUCTION OF SHARPSBUEG. 

reconnoitre the position of the enemy, and await the 
arrival of fresh troops to relieve my command, upon 
whose coming I was to follow him to Sharpsburg. 
The night was far advanced when a brigade of in- 
fantry took the place of niy weary soldiers, who had 
fought all day, and the "small hours" had suc- 
ceeded when with two of my couriers I entered the 
village. 

It was a sad spectacle of death and destruction, as 
seen by the light of the yet glowing embers of its 
habitations, the greater number of which had been 
swept away by the flames. The unburied corpses of 
men and horses lay on every side in the streets, while 
helpless women and children, who had lost their 
homesteads, were moving about amid the smouldering 
ruins seeking shelter for the night. The mansion of 
Dr G., after having been completely riddled by shells, 
had been consumed ; but a small summer-house in 
the garden had escaped injury, and here the family 
found a temporary refuge. The Doctor himself was 
quite calm and composed. He congratulated me on 
my escape, and said that he derived consolation from 
the hope that we should whip the Yankees as badly 
the next day as we had done already. As usual, 
General Stuart, having once separated himself from 
his aides, was not to be found ; so for the remainder 
of the night I rested with my couriers in a small 
cow -stable, on the top of which we were fortunate 
enough to discover some hay for the horses. 

Several shots fired in rapid succession about day- 
light, very near to our little dormitory, roused us from 
sleep with the idea that the fighting had been renewed 
in the streets of the village ; but, on going out of the 
cow-stable, I found, to my surprise and relief, that 
they came from some of our men, who were amusing 
themselves with shooting the pigs and chickens, 
which, rendered homeless by the fire, were wandering 
about in a distracted condition. " Poor little things," 
said our troopers, with a dry sort of humour, " they 



ASPECT OF THE BATTLE-FIELD. 163 

have nowhere to go, and we ought to take care of 
them." Already, at several points among the ruins 
of the houses, commodious sheds had been hastily 
erected, and the savoury smell of roast meat, wafted 
to me on the fresh air of the morning, brought very 
forcibly to my mind and stomach the indisputable 
and melancholy fact that for more than forty -eight 
hours I had been wholly without food. This was 
indeed the case with the greater portion of our 
army, which, for several days preceding the battle, 
had been living on green apples and ears of Indian- 
corn picked up on the roadside and roasted. Never- 
theless, I felt obliged to rebuke a Texan, who, only a 
few steps from me, had just rolled over, by a capital 
shot, a porker galloping across the street at sixty 
yards distance, for his wanton disregard of the rights 
of property. With a look of utter astonishment, he 
turned to me, and asked, " Major, did you have any- 
thing to eat yesterday ? " and, upon my answering in 
the negative, said, " Then you know what it is to be 
hungry ; I haven't tasted a morsel for several days. " 
I had nothing more to say, and mounting my horse, 
I rode forward to the front, where our army, in line 
of battle, was momentarily expecting the renewed 
attack of the enemy. 

I found General Stuart much sooner than I had 
hoped for, on our left flank, and at his request rode 
with him over the battle-field to reconnoitre the 
enemy's lines. It was a sickening sight. None of 
the corpses had yet been buried, and in Jackson's 
front the Federal dead lay around in great numbers, 
while many wounded men still remained untended 
in their agony in out-of-the-way spots of the woods 
and corn-fields. The outposts of the two armies were 
separated from each other by only a few hundred yards, 
and frequent shots were exchanged between them 
whenever an enterprising fellow went forward to pick 
up a gun or strip a dead body upon the intermediate 
ground. After having completed our reconnaissance, 



164 PEESENTIMENT OF DEATH. 

and when several Yankee- sharpshooters had rewarded 
our curiosity with the whizzing of their bullets, we 
proceeded tow^ards the point where Jackson was sup- 
posed to be, and found old Stonewall, near a battery 
of twenty-five guns, stretched out along a fence, and 
enjoying the luxury of a cup of coffee, quite hot, 
which his trusty servant had prepared from the con- 
tents of a Yankee haversack, and of which we were 
kindly invited to partake. 

General Lee soon arrived upon the spot, and leaving 
these three great men to their council of war, I moved 
off a short distance, and, throwing myself at full 
length upon the soft turf, gave way to deep reverie. 
I had heard much and read much, in my own German 
and elsewhere, of the presentiment of approaching 
death, and had often speculated upon the matter, 
its verity, and the mental and physical conditions 
that might superinduce it, &c. ; but this morning I 
was taken hold of, rather than oppressed, by the con- 
viction that I should be killed before night in the 
coming battle, and I should have regarded any one 
as a profane sceptic wlio had tried to argue me out of 
it, and prove the foreboding nonsensical upon philo- 
sophical principles. Whether the famished state of 
my body, or the excitements of the last two days 
acting on the brain, had wrought the presentiment in 
the mind, it is not worth while to consider : certain 
it is that I made the most mournful entry in my note- 
book, at which I cannot now look without laughing, 
and which is too absurd to be repeated here. I only 
revert to the fact to show that while in some instances 
presentiments of death are afterwards verified, in 
others that we do not hear of, probably the greater 
number, they have no subsequent realisation. 

Hour after hour passed away in anxiety and watch- 
ing for the enemy's attack, but the perfect quietude 
of the morning was interrupted only by a flag of 
truce sent in by the Yankees asking permission to 
bury their dead. This ^\ is of course granted, and 



PREPARATIONS FOR RETREAT. 165 

the work occupied them until the afternoon, when it 
became evident that the battle would not be renewed, 
and that my misgivings for the day had been utterly 
idle. My annoyance at having indulged them was 
greatly mitigated when, with the evening, came my 
negro, AVilliam, mounted on my beautiful little grey 
mule " Kitt," and, with a grin all over his black face, 
offered me tomatoes, apples, and roasted ears of corn, 
which he had promptly seized the earliest occasion 
of stealing from a neighbouring farm. 

In the mean time our great commander-in-chief 
had decided to recross the Potomac, and transfer his 
weakened army again to the soil of Virginia. Nothing 
could be accomplished by remaining longer in Mary- 
land. Even had the battle been renewed with the 
most satisfactory results for our arms. General Lee 
had not men enough for the continued occupation of 
the country. General Lee has often been censured 
for having fought the battle of Sharpsburg at all; but 
he was compelled to do so in order that he might save 
the immense booty taken by Jackson at Harper's 
Ferry, which was of the very greatest importance to 
us, and well worth a great sacrifice. Besides, it was 
not known how much the enemy had exhausted his 
strength in the conflict. Not until some time after- 
wards did we learn from General M'Clellan's own 
statement that there was but one single corps of the 
whole numerous Federal army that could well have 
been brought into action again. The retreat of our 
army was in preparation throughout the day, was 
commenced at night, and was executed in a masterly 
manner when one .considers that it was conducted 
along a single road, that, except three hundred men 
who were too severely wounded to bear transporta- 
tion, nothing was left in the enemy's hands, and that 
they were wholly ignorant of our disappearance until 
the next morning, when our entire army was on the 
Virginia shore. 

General Stuart started with his Staff about ten 



166 AGAIN IN VIRGINIA. 

o'clock at night, and I can safely say that the ride to 
the Potomac was one of the most disagreeable of my 
life. A fine rain, which had been falling all the 
evening, had rendered the roads so deep with mud 
and so slippery that it was difficult to make any 
progress at all, and I fell with my horse not less than 
five times. The way was everywhere obstructed by 
waggon and artillery trains, and marching columns ; 
and the darkness w^as so great that one knew not 
where to direct his doubtful steps. General Stuart 
made a narrow escape from being crushed to death. 
His horse fell with him directly under the wheels of 
a heavy army waggon, which must inevitably have 
gone over him had I not fortunately been able to 
arrest its motion. The General was in great haste, 
and was calling out continually to those in front of 
him in somewhat angry tones, which were often an- 
sw^ered, to my great amusement, in a sufficiently rough 
manner by the soldiers and waggon-drivers, who did 
not recognise his voice. At last we reached the 
Potomac, crossed it in safety, and after moving about 
for some time in the darkness on the opposite bank, 
and being compelled to lead our horses over the 
rocky precipitous ground near Shepherdstowm, came 
shortly before daylight to a halt, and sought on a wet 
but hard place in the open an hour's rest preparatory 
to starting upon a new enterprise — unlooked-for finale 
to the autumn campaign in Maryland. 



RENEWED DEMONSTRATION INTO MARYLAND. 167 



CHAPTEE VII. 

DEMONSTRATION INTO MARYLAND — OUTPOST-DUTY AND FIGHTS 
ON THE POTOMAC — RENEWED FIGHTING, AND PASSAGE OF 
THE POTOMAC BY NIGHT — CAMP AT MARTINSBURG AND 
CHARLESTOWN — VIRGINIA PARTRIDGES AND A VIRGINIA 
PLANTATION — ESCAPE OF A SPY — ADVANCE AND REPULSE 
OF THE ENEMY — VISITS TO NEIGHBOURS. 

General Stuart had received orders from General 
Lee to march at once, with two of his brigades 
(Hampton's and Eobertson's), two regiments of in- 
fantry, and his horse-artillery, to the little town of 
WilLiamsport, about fifteen miles higher up the Po- 
tomac, cross again into Maryland, and by a vigorous 
demonstration induce the enemy to believe that a 
large portion of our whole army was manoeuvring 
against them at that point. Accordingly, we had 
scarcely fallen asleep when the order was given to 
mount, and we commenced our rapid march through 
the chill fog of the morning, cold, hungry, and wet 
to the skin. But a few hours of hard riding, the 
genial warmth of the sun breaking through the 
watery sky, and more than all else, a luxurious 
breakfast, which was quickly prepared for us at a 
hospitable house on the roadside, the first regular 
meal that we had enjoyed for many days, revived 
and refreshed us. About noon we reached the 
Potomac opposite WilHamsport, forded the river, 
and drove a squadron of Federal cavalry stationed 
there out of the place towards Hagerstown, a village 
some six miles distant. A mile beyond WiUiams- 
port we halted, throwing out our pickets and 
videttes. It was not long before the enemy re- 
turned with reinforcements, and a lively skirmish 
ensued, with even a spirited cannonade ; for we made, 
of course, as a part of our plan, as great a display of 
our forces and as much noise as possible. 



168 SLIGHT RESULTS OF VOLLEY-FIRING. 

I had here a very striking example of how little 
effect is often produced by volley - firing. Two 
companies of one of our infantry regiments which 
were stationed on the turnpike running to Hagers- 
town, and had hastily thrown up a small intrench- 
ment across the road, were charged in a very 
dashing manner by some squadrons of the Federal 
cavalry. The intrenchment was concealed from view 
by a slight elevation of ground about forty steps 
in front of it, so that the Yankees came upon it 
quite unexpectedly. The infa^ntry officer in com- 
mand had given orders to his men to reserve their 
fire till the last moment, and the dense ranks of 
the horsemen had arrived within close range when 
suddenly the volley thundered upon them, making 
them turn and fly precipitately. Having been 
myself with tlie infantry, I galloped forward, believ- 
ing that at least half of the assailants had been 
brought to the ground, but found to my surprise 
that not a man or a horse had been struck down, the 
leaden hail having passed far above their heads. 
On several subsequent occasions I had a similar 
experience. The haste and uncertainty of volley- 
firing, even with the improved firearms now in use, 
made it possible in a few cases for our cavalry 
successfully to attack and ride do^vn unbroken 
infantry — an attempt which, with accurate dropping 
fire, I regard as out of the question. 

During one of the pauses of the fight, when the 
enemy had retired some distance. General Stuart 
requested me to reconnoitre their position and 
further movements. Having done this closely, I 
sent my report by an orderly I had taken with me, 
and was riding slowly along the turnpike on my 
return, when I passed a modest-looking farmhouse, 
in the garden of which was a trellis of such superb 
grapes that I could not resist asking of the pro- 
prietor, who stood in his doorway, permission to 
pluck some of the branches which hung in such 



NARROW ESCAPE FROM CAPTURE. 369 

tempting profusion. The request was not only- 
granted at once, but the hospitable farmer invited 
me to alight and. join him at dinner, which was just 
about to be served. As everything now seemed 
perfectly quiet, and the enemy nowhere at hand, I 
did not think it imprudent to accept his kind offer, 
otherwise so entirely consistent with my inclination ; 
so tying my horse to the garden-gate, about twenty 
steps from the building, I entered the draiving-room, 
which was already pervaded by the appetising smell 
of the coming meal. The farmer's wife, seeing some 
ugly rents in my dilapidated uniform coat, kindly 
proposed to mend them for me, and, waiving the 
etiquette of a major remaining in her presence in 
his shirt-sleeves, had just commenced her task, when 
I heard the heavy clatter of hoofs on the turnpike, 
and saw, at the same moment, a whole squadron of 
Yankees approaching at a full gallop. With one 
bound I cleared the drawing-room, leaving coat and 
dinner behind, and ran to my horse, which, parti- 
cipating in his master's alarm, was jumping and 
plunging so furiously that it w^as quite an acrobatic 
feat to mount him. Meanwhile the hostile dragoons 
had arrived within twenty steps of me, brandishing 
their sabres and yelling like demons ; and it seemed 
likely enough that the grapes which had seduced 
me with their sweetness would prove sour enough 
in the sequel. At this critical moment, a couple of 
shells' from two of our guns, which had been put 
in position on an acclivity commanding the turn- 
pike, a mile off, whizzed close over my head, and 
with admirable aim exploded in the very midst of 
the advancing foe, emptying several saddles. At the 
same instant was heard the war-cry of a squadron 
of our Virginia horsemen sent by General Stuart 
to my relief. Their onset and the terrible effect 
of our artillery made the Yankees wheel and run 
much faster than they had come ; and thus was 
saved my life and liberty, coat and dinner. Joining 



170 A NEW MAID OF SARAGOSSA. 

our men in the pursuit, I had the satisfaction of 
overtaking and capturing several of the recent dis- 
turbers of my peace. Passing the farmhouse on my 
return, the excellent mistress of the establishment, 
with a pleasant smile upon her honest face, handed 
me across the garden -gate my repaired garment, 
saying that she had kept my dinner for me. I 
accepted her attentions with many thanks, but pre- 
ferred at this time to enjoy dinner and grapes on 
horseback. 

One of our guns on this occasion had been fired 
off by a fair young lady of Williamsport, re-enacting 
the part of the Maid of Saragossa. She had solicited 
the honour from General Stuart, and the cannon was 
ever afterwards called by our artillerymen "The 
Girl of Williamsport." During the afternoon we 
drove the enemy back for a considerable distance, 
and our line of pickets was established about four 
miles from the Potomac, on the roads leading through 
Maryland into Pennsylvania. Late in the evening 
I received orders from General Stuart to make a 
reconnaissance with two squadrons of the Georgia 
regiment of Hampton's brigade, along the turnpike 
leading to Hagerstown, and ran against a strong body 
of the Federal cavalry, whom we at once attacked 
and chased into the suburbs of the town. Here 
large reinforcements received us with so galling a 
fire that we were obliged to give up the pursuit. 
At night General Stuart was invited with his Staff 
to a little party in Williamsburg, where we had a 
capital supper, and where, with music and the dance, 
in the society of some very charming young ladies, 
the time went merrily by, till we joined our troops, 
at a late hour, in their bivouac. 

20th September. — Our regiments moved early to 
the front the following day, as our scouts had re- 
ported the enemy, largely reinforced, to be advancing 
slowly upon our outposts. At General Stuart's re- 
quest, I accompanied him on one of those little re- 



A EECONNAISSANCE AND NARROW ESCAPE. 171 

connoitring expeditions outside our lines, of which he 
was so fond, and which were always likely to ter- 
minate disastrously, as in this instance was so near 
being the case. We observed the precaution in the 
start of keeping as much as possible concealed by the 
dense undergrowth of the forest, but we had never- 
theless been observed by some of the Yankee pickets, 
and a body of about twenty-five horsemen had been 
quietly sent to our rear, cutting us off completely 
from our command. We were riding along at our 
ease, when my sharp ear detected the little clinking 
sound which a sabre-scabbard often makes in striking 
against a tree in a ride through the woods ; and, be- 
lieving that one of our couriers was approaching, I 
turned leisurely round, and saw the long line of the 
hostile cavalrymen, each man riding at about twenty 
steps interval from his neighbour, a short distance 
behind us. A few quietly uttered words informed 
General Stuart of the impending danger, when, put- 
ting spurs to our horses, we galloped off, feeling con- 
fident that a hot pursuit would follow, in the confu- 
sion of which we might make good our escape. Ac- 
cordingly, we liad a regular fox-chase. The whole 
body of the Yankees broke forward in a run, calling 
out to each other, and firing their revolvers in every 
direction. But we were too well mounted, and too 
much accustomed to riding through the tangled 
thickets of the forest, to be overtaken ; so in a short 
time, when the Federal troopers had been a good 
deal scattered by their rough and rapid motion, we 
slipped through them and got over to our lines again 
before the astonished blue-jackets had recovered from 
their amazement and chagrin. 

General Stuart now placed me in command of the 
left wing of our forces, proceeding himself, with the 
other members of his Staff, to the extreme right. My 
principal care was to guard a broad turnpike road 
leading from Williamsport into the interior of Mary- 
land, along which an advance of a considerable body 



172 A COURTEOUS OPPONENT. 

of the enemy was expected, and where small parties 
of their cavalry had already appeared. I had two 
pieces of artillery very favourably posted, and two 
companies of infantry, which, to prevent a sudden 
dash of the Yankee horsemen, I employed in making 
a barricade across the road, flanked by small in- 
trenchments stretching out about fifty yards on either 
side. From time to time I had to check the impu- 
dent advance of the Federal cavalry by a shot from 
my two guns, but altogether there was com.parative 
quiet for several hours. 

One of the Yankee officers, who, as I was later in- 
formed, was the colonel of the regiment that had 
effected its escape from Harper's Ferry, had attracted 
my attention the previous day by his gallantry and 
the excellent dispositions he made of his troops. 
Here I saw him again, galloping very near us on a 
handsome grey horse, quickly discovering our weak 
points, and posting and instructing his men accord- 
ingly. After having left him undisturbed for some 
time, I thought it necessary to put a stop to his pro- 
ceedings, and, selecting a couple of my infantrymen 
who had been pointed out to me as the best shots, I 
made across the open space in front of our lines di- 
rectly towards him. Having arrived within reason- 
able distance, I ordered my sharpshooters to fire at 
the daring colonel, who was moving along at an easy 
gallop, without paying me the slightest attention. 
After several bullets had whistled quite close to him, 
he suddenly halted, and, turning round, advanced a 
few steps and made me a military salute in the most 
graceful manner possible. Then calling out to one 
of his men to hand him a carbine, he raised the 
"weapon, took a deliberate aim at me, and sent his 
ball so close to my head that I thought it had carried 
away a lock of my hair. I saluted him now on my 
part, and, wheeling round quietly, both of us rode 
back to our respective lines. So are courtesies some- 
times exchanged in the midst of hostile conflict. 



MOVEMENTS OF THE ENEMY AGAINST US. 173 

During the afternoon, Pelham, who for the present 
had but little occupation with his artillery, and had 
been reconnoitring the enemy, rode up to me and 
told me that he had discovered, at five hundred yards' 
distance, an orchard of very fine peaches, a spot which 
was well worth visiting, because, while enjoying the 
fruit, we could obtain there a near view of the move- 
ments of the Federal cavalry, which were in consid- 
erable strength hard by, and thus combine the utile 
with the dulce. As all was quiet in my front, I 
readily consented to accompany him to the orchard 
upon a reconnaissance which promised to be so fruit- 
ful in its results, and we were soon seated amid the 
branches of a large peach-tree, eating and looking out 
to our great satisfaction. The Federal cavalry, only 
a few hundred yards from us, was already four regi- 
ments strong, and farther off" the rising clouds of dust 
indicated the approach of yet larger columns, so that 
it was evident our demonstration into Maryland had 
not failed of its desired effect, and that we occupied 
the attention of a considerable portion of M'Clellan's 
army. 

I now returned to my former position, and sent an 
orderly with my report to General Stuart, from whom 
I received orders to transfer my present command to 
Major Pelham, and join him without delay 'on the 
right. Here also the enemy's forces were heavily 
massed in front of us, and our scouts reported large 
columns of infantry, with cavalry and artillery, ad- 
vancing upon all the roads leading towards Williams- 
port. In my opinion the time for our retreat had now 
arrived, but Stuart believed he could still hold his 
ground, and seemed determined not to give up until 
he had shown fight. As usual, he was exceedingly 
desirous of closely observing the enemy's movements 
himself, and forming his own judgment concerning 
them ; and as he and I were riding very close upon 
their lines, we were several times chased by small 
bodies of Yankee horse, whom we only escaped by 



174 OBSTINACY OF STUAET. 

jumping the fences, wliicli crossed the country on 
every hand, and which were rather too high for North- 
ern horsemanship. 

In front of our centre, occupied by Hampton's 
brigade, no signs of the Yankees were to be observed, 
which led Stuart to the /)pinion that it would be 
practicable for his command to move forward under 
cover of the darkness of the night, make a circuit 
round Hagerstown, operate in the enemy's rear, and 
recross some ten miles higlier up the Potomac. Gen- 
eral Hampton, whose patrols had made prisoners of 
men belonsjinGf to several different divisions of the 
Federal army, believing that a very large portion, if 
not the whole, of M'Clellan's force was stretched out 
in a semicircle before him, regarded this operation as 
impossible, and remonstrated against it. But Stuart 
resolutely insisted on the execution of his daring 
design, and sent me back to Hampton with peremp- 
tory orders to march at once. This intrepid General 
instantly gave the command to move forward to what 
he so justly considered certain destruction, saying to 
me, ''Good-bye, my dear friend; I don't think you 
will ever see me or a man of my brave brigade again." 
Agreeing with him perfectly as to the impossibility 
of the undertaking, I felt sad and oppressed as, gal- 
loping back, I saw the last of the gallant horsemen 
disappearing in the darkness behind the hills. 

General Stuart had sent one of his batteries across 
the river, which, occupying the high banks opposite 
Williamsport, was, in case of necessity, to cover our 
retreat ; the rest of the guns he posted on an emi- 
nence a mile from the town, around which the re- 
maining part of our command had been concentrated. 
Night had set in fairly when I returned to him, and 
the enemy commencing to press upon us with cavalry, 
infantry, and artillery, a deafening cannonade ensued, 
filling the air with solid shot and shell, one of which 
latter missiles burst so near my head that for several 
minutes I was completely stunned. 



HECALL AND EETKEAT OF HAMPTON. 175 

Stuart soon discovered the mistake he had com- 
mitted with regard to Hampton's brigade ; and hop- 
ing it might not yet be too late to save them, he said 
to me, " Major, you are the only man who will perhaps 
be able to find Hampton and reach him in time ; ride 
to him as quickly as your horse can carry you, and 
order him to return at once and recross the Potomac." 
I was very well aware of the danger of this commis- 
sion. The night was pitch dark, the enemy's troops 
were spread out over the whole country, the ground 
was broken and difficult, and but partially known to 
me ; but, more discouraging than all, my horse had 
been so worn down by the continued fatigues of the 
last few days, that I could scarcely spur him into a 
gallop. So long as the true cavalier has a gSod fresh 
horse under him, he recks little of danger, and con- 
fronts it gaily ; but with the giving in of his charger's 
strength the elan disappears, and the sense of honour 
and duty alone urges him forward. Silently I pressed 
the hand of my chief as a last farewell, then, driving 
the spurs into the flanks of my exhausted steed, I 
rode off into the night. After half an hour I heard 
the sound of hoofs in front of me, and had just put 
myself in readiness for the probable rencontre, when, 
to my surprise and delight, my challenge of " Halt ! 
who are you?" was answered, " It is I, Major— Cap- 
tain Hamilton, of Hampton's Staff. Where can I find 
General Stuart ? " He then informed me that Hamp- 
ton had tried at several points to break through the 
enemy's lines, but had been met everywhere by over- 
whelming numbers, and being well convinced of the 
utter hopelessness of doing so, had on his own re- 
sponsibility ordered a retreat. I despatched Captain 
Hamilton at once to General Stuart, to make report 
to him, and proceeded myself to join Hampton, whose 
column I could hear close at hand, trotting along the 
turnpike. Whoever has been himself in so perilous 
a situation, and has unexpectedly found hope and 
relief again, can understand the joyous emotion with 



176 NIGHT PASSAGE OF THE POTOMAC. 

which I greeted my chivalrous friend, who was as 
much pleased to receive as I was to deliver General 
Stuart's orders. 

Without further accident we reached the banks 
of the Potomac, and as I was well acquainted with 
the somewhat difficult ford, I pilotecl the brigade 
across the broad stream, and having satisfactorily- 
accomplished this, returned to General Stuart, who 
had in the mean time been pressed hard by the 
enemy, and was just directing his troops towards 
the river. Our battery on the Virginia side, joined 
by the other pieces as they were successively brought 
over, now opened a spirited fire in the direction 
where the enemy was supposed to be advancing, 
which was answered vigorously by the Federal 
artillery. This passage of the Potomac by night 
was one of those magnificent spectacles which are 
seen only in war. The whole landscape was lighted 
up with a lurid glare from the burning houses of 
Williamsport, which had been ignited by the enemy's 
shells. High over the heads of the crossing column 
and the dark waters of the river, the blazing bombs 
passed each other in parabolas of flame through 
the air, and the spectral trees showed their every 
limb and leaf against the red sky. 

About 11 P.M. the crossing had been safely 
effected, and we all felt thankful to regain the soil 
of Virginia, after a loss in killed and wounded com- 
paratively trifling when considered with the dangers 
to which we had been exposed. The pursuit was 
not continued by the enemy across the river, and 
we marched quietly about six miles further in the 
direction of Martinsburg, and bivouacked for the 
remainder of the night near the large plantation of 
Mr C., whose abundant supplies of corn and hay 
gave sufficient food for the fatigued and hungry 
horses of our wdiole command. 

On the beautiful clear morning of Sunday, the 21st 
of September, we continued our march to Martins- 



JACKSON S FINISHING STROKE. 177 

burg, a small town on the Baltimore and Ohio Eail- 
way and the Winchester turnpike, which we reached 
about noon, and around which our troops bivouacked. 
Here we received the earliest intelligence of a de- 
cided victory, won by Jackson's corps the previous 
day, over a portion of the enemy's forces. General 
M'Clellan, finding the fords of the Potomac but 
slightly guarded, determined upon a forward move- 
ment into Virginia, and had already crossed the 
river with a considerable body of his troops at 
Boteler's Mill. General Lee, foreseeing this, had 
put Jackson in charge of his rear, and old Stone- 
wall, having allowed as many Yankees to come over 
as he thought convenient, suddenly broke upon 
them, in his rapid and vigorous way, routing them 
entirely, killing and wounding large numbers, and 
taking 2000 prisoners. Such as were not placed 
hors de combat by his impetuous change, he drove 
into the waters of the Potomac, which for hours 
floated down the corpses of men killed in the middle 
of the stream by bullet or shell, or whelmed beneath 
the waves in attempting to escape. Thus the retir- 
ing lion had taught a severe lesson to his pursuer, 
and attempts to follow our army into Virginia were 
for some time abandoned. 

An old friend and comrade of Pelham's, Captain 
A., living in Martinsburg, invited the Major and 
myself to dine, and we spent a delightful evening 
with him and his amiable family, it being a late 
hour of the night when we joined the rest of our 
headquarters party in bivouac about a mile from 
town. During the forenoon of the following day, 
we received information that our waggons had halted 
five miles from us in the direction of Williamsport, 
at the small village of Hainesville, where General 
Stuart subsequently decided to establish his head- 
quarters. The main body of our army had gone in 
the mean time in the direction of Winchester, the 
right wing, under Longstreet, encamping near that 
M 



178 AGAIN IN COMFORT. 

town; the left, under Jackson, remaining half-way 
between Martinsbiirg and Winchester, near the ham- 
let called Bunker Hill. The cavalry had to cover 
the line along the Potomac from Williamsport to 
Harper's Ferry, Hampton's brigade being stationed 
near Hainesville, Fitz Lee's near Shepherdstown, and 
Eobertson's under Colonel Munford, near Charles- 
town, opposite Harper's Ferry ; which latter strong- 
hold, after everything valuable had been removed 
from it, had been given up to the enemy. We 
rejoiced greatly at coming up with our waggons 
again after so long a separation from them, and at 
having our negro servants to wait on us and fresh 
horses for use. Our tents were soon pitched in the 
garden of a little tavern ; and having performed our 
ablutions, and indulged in a change of linen, we felt 
once more clean, comfortable, and happy. 

In the evening, Pelham and I, mounting our mules, 
rode very proudly over to the camp of the 1st North 
Carolina regiment, where we had been invited by its 
officers. Colonel Baker and Major Gordon, to join 
them — rare luxury indeed — in a bowl of punch, and 
where we had a very pleasant symposium, laughing 
and talking over the adventures of our recent cam- 
paign. The next day passed as quietly as if there 
had been no enemy within a hundred miles of us, 
and we became assiduously lazy, lying about on the 
soft grass, smoking the pipe of placid contentment, if 
not the calumet of peace. After an early dinner, I 
determined to make myself useful in providing for 
the next morning's breakfast -table of our mess ; and, 
with my trusty double-barrel gun, which, with the 
necessary ammunition, I always carried along in the 
waggons, I sought the partridges which w^ere said to 
abound in the large fields around the village. 

The American partridge in its habits closely re- 
sembles the partridge of Europe, but is much smaller 
in size, and different in plumage, reminding one more 
of the European quail. It consorts in large coveys, 



OEDEEED TO CHARLESTOWN. 179 

which, after having been dispersed, collect together 
again by a musical whistle, piped in a high key. 
Frequently, during the winter months, when the 
ground is covered with snow, and sometimes even in 
summer, they take to the trees ; and more than once 
I have seen whole coveys of them fly out of the 
tufted top of a pine. The meat is white and has 
hot much of a game flavour, but that of the young 
birds is very tender and delicious. I found a great 
many in the high grass, but having no dogs with 
me, I lost several that I had shot, and brought but 
four home with me in my bag. In the evening I 
galloped over to Martinsburg, and paid a second 
visit to Captain A. and the agreeable ladies of his 
household, returning after midnight to my soft bed 
in the tent. 

Quite unexpectedly I received orders next morning 
from General Stuart to proceed with half of the Staff 
and couriers to Charlestown, nearly twenty miles off, 
and to establish near there, until further instructions, 
a second headquarters, to which reports from Eobert- 
son's brigade, forming the right wing of our line, 
should be sent, and from which, in case of urgency, 
they should be transmitted by me to General Jackson, 
at Bunker Hill. Our route lay through Martinsburg, 
where a well-dressed man, mounted on a good-looking 
horse, was turned over to me by the town authorities 
as a spy. He had been arrested there, and it was 
said the evidence was pretty clear that he had been 
engaged in this disgraceful business for a long time. 
I placed him between two of my couriers, giving 
them orders to shoot him down should he make any 
effort to escape. 

In due time we reached Charlestown, a charming 
village, the county seat of one of the richest and most 
fertile counties of Virginia — Jefferson — and fixed our 
headquarters upon the farm of Colonel D., about half 
a mile from the town, immediately informing the 
commanding officer of Eobertson's brigade. Colonel 



180 A VIEGINIAN PLANTER AND HIS FAMILY. 

Muuford, of my presence* Colonel D.'s plantation 
was one of tlie most extensive and beautiful I had 
seen in America. The stately mansion-house stood 
in the midst of fair lawns, and orchards prodigal of 
the peach and the apple ; a little removed from 
which were large sta,bles and granaries, and all 
around an amplitude of rich, cultivated fields, with a 
"background in the distant landscape of dense forests 
of oak and hickory. The family consisted of the 
proprietor — whose military title of Colonel had been 
derived from the militia — his wife, daughter, and son- 
in-law, all of whom received me with the greatest 
courtesy and hospitality. The Colonel was good 
enough to conduct me all over the estate, where 
many things interested me ; among others the large 
cider-press, then in full operation, pouring out the 
sweet juice of the apple, of which everybody, white 
and black, was permitted to drink as much as he 
pleased. Colonel D. took much pride in showing me 
his stock of Cashmere goats, the first pair of which he 
had himself imported many years before, at a cost of 
several thousand dollars. It is sad to know that all 
these valuable animals, at a later period of the war, 
were killed and devoured by the ruthless Yankees. 

I was not a little embarrassed at headquarters by 
my prisoner, and was compelled to ask Colonel D.'s 
permission to use one of the rooms of a house in his 
garden as a jail for the night, to which I had the spy 
transferred, with orders that he should be bound 
hand and foot. It was very soon reported to me, 
however, that he made a very obstinate resistance 
to this treatment, and it became necessary for me to 
proceed in person to the lodge to have my orders 
carried out. While the work of securing him was 
going on, the spy broke out in a most excited manner 
against me, saying that he was a gentleman, and that 
he should not fail hereafter in making me personally 
responsible, and punishing me for my conduct. I 
begged him, very politely, to be quiet, assuring him 



ESCAPE OF A SPY. 181 

that if I could but follow my own convictions of 
propriety, I should save him from the inconvenience 
and discomfort of his bonds by hanging him before 
the next morning. I regretted afterwards that I had 
not done so. 

Colonel D. being obliged to make use of the tem- 
porary prison the following morning, I had the delin- 
quent released from his manacles, and placed him in 
charge of a trusty young courier, named Chancellor, 
in whom I had the fullest confidence, and who had 
always accompanied me on expeditions of peculiar 
peril. About half an hour later, as I was just making 
the latest entry in my journal, Chancellor rushed into 
the room in the wildest excitement of rage and mor-' 
tification, and informed me, with the tears actually 
streaming from his eyes, that the spy had escaped. 
Having imprudently permitted him to walk out near 
a large field of Indian corn, then fully in tassle, he 
had profited by a momentary inattention on the part 
of his keeper to jump into the thicket of green stalks, 
and vanished behind their luxuriant blades before 
poor Chancellor was able to fire a shot at him. In a 
few minutes, I myself and most of my men were in 
the saddle, searching the fields narrowly, but without 
success ; and I was obliged to relinquish the game, 
and return to headquarters, as the boom of artillery, 
sounding over from beyond Charlestown, announced 
that there was other work to be done. 

On my way to the scene of action, I met a courier 
from Colonel Munford, who reported that the enemy 
had driven back our pickets opposite Harper's Ferry, 
and was advancing towards Charlestown in consider- 
able strength. I found the brigades drawn up across 
the broad turnpike leading to the river, on a slight 
range of hills beyond Charlestown, and our artillery 
well posted and already hotly engaged with two 
Federal batteries. A large number of our men were 
dismounted as sharpshooters, and the firing ran briskly 
along our whole line. The combat grew for a time 



182 VISITS AND HOSPITALITIES. 

fiercer and fiercer, and tke Yankees seemed deter- 
mined upon driving us off ; but during the afternoon 
we assumed the ofi'ensive and repulsed them heavily, 
chasing their flying columns into the protecting 
fortifications of Harper's Terry. Our loss in killed 
and wounded was small ; that of the Federals must 
have been large, for, besides those left upon the field, 
many of their wounded were carried off in their am- 
bulances, which I had seen moving to and fro all the 
morning. We took twenty-five prisoners. Late in 
the evening I returned to the hospitable mansion of 
Colonel D., where the whole family awaited in great 
anxiety the result of the conflict, and heartily con- 
gratulated me on our success. The spy's horse, a fine 
mare five years old, which he left behind him, I took 
in charge, and it was afterwards formally turned over 
to me by General Stuart. 

The next two days, 26th and 27th September, passed 
in perfect quietude, and I greatly enjoyed the glorious 
autumn weather, riding all over the country with 
Colonel D.'s son-in-law, and visiting the neighbouring 
plantations, which, almost without exception, were 
large, fertile, and beautiful. Among others, I visited 
the mansion of Colonel Lewis Washington, a descen- 
dant of George Washington, who had in his possession 
the sword which Frederick the Great of Prussia had 
given to his ancestor, with the inscription, " From the 
oldest living general to the greatest." We also visited 
the noble estate of Mr T., who had travelled much in 
Europe, and who gave us an excellent dinner, where 
we passed some pleasant hours over the walnuts and 
the wine. All around the dwelling were magnificent 
hickory-trees, which were inhabited by innumerable 
tame grey squirrels that were great pets of Mr T., 
and amused me exceedingly with their nimble and 
graceful antics. On the way home we passed a large 
plantation which, I was told, belonged to a free negro, 
one of the richest men of the county, who was himself 
the owner of numerous slaves. My pleasant com- 



MORE FIGHTING. 183 

panion took care also to show me, with a certain 
pride, what he called an old ruin — a dismantled 
church, a short distance from Charlestown, which had 
seventy or eighty years ago been burned down, and 
which looked quite picturesque, with ivy trailing 
from its shattered walls and Gothic windows. Upon 
me, long accustomed to the century-stained ruins of 
Europe, the " old " church of Jefferson did not make 
the desired impression. 



CHAPTEE VIII. 



CHANGE OF HEADQUARTERS — FIGHTING RESUMED— CAMP LIFE 

AT "the bower"— pleasantries with PLEASANTON — 

WE LOSE AND RECAPTURE MARTINSBURG — OSCULATORY 
OVATION AT SHEPHERDSTOWN— WITH A FLAG OF TRUCE 
INTO THE enemy's LINES — FIELD-SPORTS AND DRAMATIC 
ENTERTAINMENTS — NEW UNIFORM COAT FOR GENERAL 
JACKSON. 

General Stuart had meanwhile shifted his head- 
quarters to a point exactly in rear of the centre of 
our outpost lines, and much nearer to Jackson than 
my ov/n position at Charlestown, thus rendering my 
further detached duty unnecessary. Accordingly, on 
the morning of the 28th, orders reached me to join 
him at " The Bower," a plantation eight miles from 
Martinsburg, and about ten from Charlestown. Two- 
thirds of our march thither had been already accom- 
plished, and we were just entering the little village 
of Leetown, when a heavy cannonade was heard from 
the neighbourhood we had left, and Stuart soon came 
galloping towards us. His orders now were that I 
should return with him at once to the scene of the 
conflict. 



184 BEAUTY OF 

Eiding at full speed, in ^n hour's time we reached 
the spot, Avhere our troops were hard pressed by the 
far superior numbers of the foe. General Stuart im- 
mediately sent instructions to Fitz Lee to come with 
all haste to his support, and determined upon trying 
to maintain his position until his reinforcements 
should arrive. Munford and his men had been fight- 
ing with their accustomed gallantry ; but the Yankees 
receiving again and again fresh troops from Harper's 
Eerry, and their numerous batteries pouring upon us 
a most destructive fire, we were compelled to retreat 
and abandon Charlestown, which was instantly occu- 
pied by the enemy, who halted there, and did not 
seek to push their success farther. Their possession 
of the town, however, was of very short duration ; 
for Fitz Lee suddenly appearing on their right flank 
at the same moment that we attacked them vigorously 
in front, they were now driven in turn to their strong- 
hold of Harper's Ferry; and before nightfall we had 
regained our old lines and re-established our pickets. 
As a renewed attack on the morrow was not to be 
expected. General Stuart with his Staff and escort 
started at dusk for our new headquarters in the elysian 
fields of " The Bower," of the beauty of which spot 
my com^rades had given me such glowing accounts, 
that I waited with great impatience and curiosity the 
light of the morning, arriving there, as we did, after 
midnight in utter darkness. 

When I arose from my grassy couch at sunrise on 
the 29th, I found, indeed, that the half had not been 
told me of " The Bower." Our headquarters were 
■situated on a hill beneath a grove of lofty umbrage- 
ous oaks of primitive growth,*", which extended, on 
the right, towards the large mansion-^iouse, the thick 
brick walls of which, in the blush of the early sun- 
light, were just visible in little patches of red through 
the rich verdure of the embosoming garden. At the 
foot of this hill, skirting a main road to which the 
slope was smooth and gradual, ran the bright little 



OUK LIFE THERE. 185 

river Opequan, its limpid waters breaking through 
and tumbling over cliffs and rocks, thus forming a 
cascade of considerable height, with rainbows in its 
spray as the sun changed every falling drop into a 
ruby or a diamond. This lovely entourage was now 
enlivened and diversified by the white tents of our 
encampment, the General's, with its fluttering battle- 
flag, in the centre, by the smoke of the camp-fires 
where the negroes were busily engaged in cooking 
breakfasts, by the picturesque groups of officers and 
men who were strolling about or cleaning their arms, 
and by the untethered horses and mules which were 
quietly grazing all over the ground. One may be 
pardoned some extravagance of language in attempt- 
ing to describe a scene which brought a feeling of 
thankful happiness to the soldier, weary of the ex- 
citement, the toil, the hardshi23S, and the anguish of 
war. We had now plenty of food for our exhausted 
animals, which had undergone so much fatigue and 
privation, and our own commissariat was far more 
abundant than it had been for many weeks. The 
long mess-table, at which we dined together in the 
open air, was loaded with substantials that seemed 
dainties and luxuries to us, who often for days to- 
gether had gone without food, and at best could 
secure only a meagre repast. 

The plantation of " The Bower " had been long in 
the possession of the family of Dandridge, one mem- 
ber of which, more than a century ago, was the pretty 
widow Martha Custis, n^e Dandridge, afterwards the 
wife of George Washington, whose beauty and amia- 
bility have been preserved in history and fiction, who 
was delineated by the,f)encil of Stuart in one genera- 
tion, and the peii of Thackeray in another. Nowhere, 
perhaps, in the wide limits of the State, coul'd one 
have formed a better idea of the refined manners 
and profuse hospitable life of dear old Virginia, and 
before the breaking -out of the war "The Bower" 
had rarely been without its guests. The proprietor 



186 BOB SWEENEY AND HIS BANJO. 

at the time I knew tlie place was a kind-hearted 
intelligent gentleman of fifty or thereabouts, whose 
charming wife retained, in a remarkable degree for 
America, the personal attractiveness of her youthful 
bloom. The rest of the numerous family consisted 
of grown and growing sons and daughters and nieces. 
Of the boys, three were in the army fighting bravely 
for cause and country. The girls, some of whom 
were exceedingly handsome, and all of whom were 
pleasing and accomplished, remained beneath the 
rooftree of the old homestead. With these amiable 
people I soon contracted a very intimate friendship, 
which time nor distance can ever weaken. 

Frequently, when the mocha, of which we had 
captured a large supply from the enemy, was smok- 
ing invitingly on our breakfast-table, we had the 
pleasure of greeting the proprietor as a welcome 
guest at our morning meal at headquarters ; later 
in the day a lady's skirt might even be seen in the 
streets of our encampment ; but regularly every 
night we proceeded with our band to the house, 
where dancing was kept up till a late hour. The 
musical director of our band was a private of one of 
our regiments, whom Stuart had detached to his 
military family for his musical talent alone. Bob 
Sweeney, a brother of the celebrated banjo-player, 
Joe Sweeney, forerunner of all the Christy's; — Bob 
Sweeney, who also played this favourite instrument 
of the family with amazing cleverness ; who knew 
sentimental, bibulous, martial, nautical, comic songs 
out of number ; who was carried about with him by 
the General every^vhere ; who will have a conspicu- 
ous place in some of our later adventures ; and who, 
after having safely passed through many accidents of 
war, died at last of small-pox, regretted by every- 
body, but most of all by " Jeb. Stuart." Bob was 
assisted by two of our couriers who played the vio- 
lin, musicians of inferior merit ; but his chief reliance 
was in Mulatto Bob, Stuart's servant, who worked 



A FEDERAL DESERTEK. 187 

the bones with the most surprising and extraordinary 
agility, and became so excited that both head and 
feet were in constant employment, and his body 
twisted about so rapidly and curiously that one 
could not help fearing that he would dislocate his 
limbs and fly to pieces in the midst of the break- 
down. General Stuart was himself always the gayest 
and noisiest of the party, starting usually at the 
close of the festivity the famous song — 

"If you want to have a good time, 
Join in the cavalry. 
Join in the cavalry," &c. — 

the whole of the excited company, young and old, 
uniting in the chorus, the last notes of which sounded 
far through the still air of the night as we walked 
back to our tents. General Stuart did not like it at \ 
all if any one of his Staff officers withdrew himself from ^ 
these innocent merry-makings, after the fatigues of | 
the day, to seek an early rest, and would always rouse^ 
him from his slumbers to take part in the revelry. 

On the 29th Stuart turned over to my care and 
attention a Federal deserter, who pretended to have 
been an officer of Engineers in the Prussian army, 
and professed a competent knowledge of topography, 
but who turned out to be a great humbug, of whom 
I got rid as soon as possible. I have recently seen 
in the Northern newspapers that this fellow was 
used as a witness for the Federal Government in the 
great conspiracy trial at Washington. 

I had now taken up my quarters in the same tent 
with my comrade, Captain Blackford, who had a 
wonderful talent for making himself comfortable ; 
and in a short time we had so improved our habitat 
that it was quite a model establisrhment. My former 
tent (one of the so-called dog-tents), which was very 
narrow and contracted, insomuch that when I lay in 
it at full length either my head or my feet must be 
exposed to the night air and the dews, I turned over 



188 THE ENEMY AGAIN IN MOTION. 

to our two negroes William and Gilbert, who en- 
larged it greatly, and it now stood immediately in the 
rear of our own. 

The first day of October brought a sudden change 
in our life of happy quietude and social enjoyment. 
At an early hour we received a report from our pick- 
ets near Shepherdstown that the enemy were showing 
themselves in large numbers on the opposite bank 
of the Potomac, to which about noon succeeded the 
intelligence that several brigades of Federal cavalry 
under General Pleasanton had crossed the river, 
driven in our pickets, and were rapidly advancing 
upon Martinsburg. This put us at once in the saddle, 
and we proceeded at full gallop to the headquarters 
of Colonel William H. F. Lee (son of General Eobert 
E. Lee), who was temporarily in command of the 
brigade of his cousin Fitz Lee, this officer having a 
few days before received a kick on the leg from a 
malicious mule, which disabled him for a consider- 
able time. Colonel Lee had already hastened to- 
wards Martinsburg, whither we followed him, and 
where General Stuart found, to his intense disgust, 
that the place had been abandoned, — a fact first 
made apparent by the whizzing bullets of the Yankee 
sharpshooters on approaching the outskirts of the 
town. Colonel Lee had retired a short distance upon 
the turnpike leading to Winchester ; General Hamp- 
ton with his brigade rested on the road leading to 
Haines ville, both commands still keeping up a con- 
nection with each other. General Stuart sent at 
once for the brigade commanders, and, expressing his 
OTcat dissatisfaction, said, " Gentlemen, this thinc^ 
will not do ; I Avill give you twenty minutes, within 
which time the town must be again in our posses- 
sion." Lee's brigade was ordered to open the attack 
in front, supported by a corresponding movement of 
Hampton's command on the enemy's right flank. 
Our brave horsemen, who were happy to have their 
bold commander with them again, received us as we 



PURSUIT OF THE ENEMY. 189 

galloped up to their lines with tremendous cheers, 
which struck terror into the hearts of the Federals. 

Our column of attack (column of platoons, as the 
road leading into Martinsburg, being lined on either 
side by stone walls, rendered the formation in line 
impossible) was soon formed, the sabres leapt rat- 
tling from their scabbards, and with a loud yell the 
migiity body of many hundred horsemen dashed 
forward at a full gallop down the turnpike. Hamp- 
ton starting simultaneously on the Hainesville road, 
and our horse-artillery opening a spirited fire over 
our heads, the effect was too much for the Yankees, 
who turned in rapid flight in the direction of Shep- 
herdstown. 

I was the first of our command to enter Martins- 
burg, but determinedly as I spurred my horse, I arrived 
there only in time to see the last of the blue-jackets 
disappearing on the opposite side of the village. 
Hampton now received orders to occupy Martins- 
burg and gradually re-establish his pickets, Lee's 
brigade continuing the pursuit, followed by Pelham 
with four of his guns, which he posted on a hill a 
mile beyond the town, and opened with them a rapid 
and very effective fire upon the dense columns of the 
enemy. 

Stuart would have given a great deal to capture 
the commander of the Federal horse and annihilate 
his command. He had been with General Pleasan- 
ton at West Point, and they had there been bitter 
enemies. Pleasanton had annoyed Stuart greatly 
in the olden days by his foppish vanity, and in 
the latter days by his dash and enterprise. But 
this was not to be. The Yankees in their flight, 
recovering from their panic, often turned round and 
showed determined fight ; and their numerous horse- 
artillery, which was admirably served, by its de- 
structive fire covered excellently well their retreat. 
The increasing darkness also interfered much with 
the celerity of our movements ; but the indefatigable 



190 POPULARITY OF STUART. 

Stuart, leading everywhere in person, carried his 
men forward again and again, driving the enemy- 
through Shepherdstown into the weaves of the 
Potomac. The rear-guard of the Federals was, by 
a determined attack at the last moment, completely 
dispersed ; hut, protected by the intense darkness of 
the night, most of the men made their escape, and 
only thirty prisoners fell into our hands. But the 
killed and wounded of the Federals must have 
reached a large figure. 

On our return through Shepherdstown, we stopped 
for an hour at the house of a lady, a friend of 
General Stuart, Mrs L., who had lost her husband, 
one of his former classmates, at the first battle of 
Manassas. To her and her sisters I was presented ; 
at a later period I became well acquainted with 
them. The General's presence was no sooner known 
in the village than a mob of young and pretty girls 
collected at Mrs L.'s house, all very much excited — 
to such an extent, indeed, that the General's uniform 
was in a few minutes entirely shorn of its buttons, 
taken as souvenirs ; and if he had given as many 
locks of his hair as were asked for, our commander 
would soon have been totally bald. Stuart suffered 
all this very gracefully, with the greater resignation 
as every one of these patriotic young ladies gave him 
a kiss as tribute and reward. This latter favour was 
unhappily not extended to the Staff-officers, and it 
may be readily imagined that it was tantalising for 
us to look on and not take part in the pleasant 
ceremony. We arived at "The Bower" at a late 
hour of the night, but found our kind host yet 
awake, the excitement and anxiety of the day hav- 
ing prevented him from retiring. Here we obtained 
compensation for the loss of our dinner in an abun- 
dant supply of cold meat, and cut into a capital 
Virginia ham with a greater amount of destruction 
than we had done during the day into the ranks of 
the enemy. 



SENT OVER WITH A FLAG OF TRUCE. 191 

The following day there came some important 
documents and letters from General E. E. Lee to be 
transmitted to General M'Clellan, and I had the 
honour to be selected by our commander-in-chief as 
the bearer of them into the Federal lines. To make 
a favourable impression upon ''our friends the 
enemy," I fitted myself out as handsomely as the 
very seedy condition of my wardrobe would allow ; 
and as all my own horses were, more or less, broken- 
down, I borrowed a high-stepping, fine-limbed chest- 
nut from one of my comrades of the Staff for the 
occasion. General Stuart took advantage of the 
opportunity to send under my charge a batch of 
prisoners for exchange, and, intrusting me with some 
private messages to M'Clellan, bade me proceed as 
far as possible into the enemy's lines, and employ 
all my diplomacy to obtain a large insight into his 
positions — to as great an extent, at least, as was con- 
sistent with the proprieties of my mission. About 
ten o'clock in the morning, my fifty or sixty Yankee 
prisoners were turned over to me by Colonel W. H. 
r. Lee at his camp, and at noon I reached the 
Potomac near Shepherdstown, escorted by a caval- 
cade of our ofi&cers, who were interested in accom- 
panying me as far as the river with my flag of truce. 
This imposing ensign consisted of a white pocket- 
handkerchief on a long pole, and was borne most 
loftily by one of our couriers, a handsome martial- 
looking fellow, who crossed the river with it, and 
soon brought me the permission to come to the 
opposite shore. I was greatly amused, during our 
passage of the ford, by the bitter complaints of the 
Yankee prisoners, that they were forced to wade 
through the cold waters of the Potomac, which wet 
them from head to foot. I answered them, that I 
was not myself unmoved by the cruel compulsion, 
and that I should be yet more deeply aff*ected by it, 
had not all the boats along the river been seized and 
burned by their army. On the Maryland shore I 



192 CONVERSATION WITH FEDERAL OFFICERS. 

was received by a majo^, who was in command of 
the outposts at this part of the Federal lines, who 
handed me his proper written acknowledgment for 
the prisoners, and said, that as for the papers and 
documents I might deliver them to him, and he 
would forward them at once. This, of course, I 
politely declined, giving him to understand that 
despatches of such importance I could only deliver 
to General M'Clellan, or, should this be impossible, 
to some other general of his army ; and adding, that 
as I supposed General Pleasanton to be supreme in 
command of this portion of the lines, I should be 
glad to be conducted to him. The Major here be- 
trayed some embarrassment, and spoke of impos- 
sibilities, &c., but at last concluded to send off a 
mounted officer for further instructions. 

Meanwhile all the Yankee soldiers who were not 
on duty came running towards me, impelled by 
curiosity to see the " great big rebel officer," in such 
numbers that the Major was compelled to establish 
a cordon of sentries around me to keep them at a 
respectful distance. The only camp-stool that could 
be produced having been politely offered me for a 
seat, I soon found myself engaged in a lively and 
pleasant conversation with a group of Federal 
officers. Upon one matter only that was brought 
into the discourse we were unable to agree. They 
claimed the battle of Sharpsburg as a brilliant 
victory for their arms. I could not see it in that 
light. 

At length, after a weary time of waiting, came the 
answer to the Major's message that I might proceed ; 
and a good-looking young cavalry officer was reported 
to me as guide and protector. Eager to anticipate 
a disagreeable and awkward formality, I now asked 
to be blindfolded, but this was politely waived. 
Starting from the ford, I took a tall and singularly 
shaped pine-tree, which reared itself far above the 
tops of its neighbours, as a landmark, and with this 



THE FEDERAL CAMP AND SOLDIERS. 193 

constantly in sight, it was not difficult for me to dis- 
cover that I was purposely carried about in a circle, 
up hill and down dale, through dense woods and vast 
encampments of troops. The Federal army at this 
time certainly appeared to the greatest advantage 
in its camps. Everywhere was observable the most 
beautiful order. The soldiers were well dressed, and 
had the look of being well fed ; their arms were in 
excellent condition ; and the whole of their canton- 
^ments spoke of a high degree of military discipline, \ 
( the absence of which I had so often regretted in our ) 
own bivouacs. 3 r^^6>^ ( ;->;. 

My companion proved to be a very pleasant young ^ 
gentleman but inexperienced officer, w^ho, during a ^ 
ride of eight miles, which brought us to somebody's 
headquarters, voluntarily gave me much information 
that he should have kept to himself Here I saw at 
a glance a considerable display of the pomp and cir- 
cumstance of war. What a contrast it presented to 
the headquarters of our general officers, especially to 
the simple encampment of our great commander-in- 
chief, who, with his Staff and escort, occupied only a 
few small tents, scarcely to be distinguished from the 
tent of a lieutenant ! Here a little town of canvass 
surrounded the magnificent marquee of the General, 
from which floated the stars and stripes in a reckless 
extravagance of bunting ; numerous sentries were 
pacing their beats ; mounted officers, resplendent 
witli bullion, galloped to and fro ; and two regiments 
of Zouaves in their gaudy uniforms were drawn up 
for parade. 

I had already found out that this was General 
ritzjohn Porter's headquarters, and it was evident 
enough that some very great personage was expected 
there. Adjoining the General's marquee there had 
been erected a beautiful pavilion, under which was 
stretched out a long table laden with luxuries of 
every description, bottles of champagne in silver ice- 
coolers, a profusion of delicious fruit, and immense 

N 



194 INTERVIEW WITH GENERAL PORTER. 

bouquets of flowers. A l^alloon (I have mentioned 
before that this means of observation was much in 
use with the Federal army) was rising every few 
minutes to the height of several hundred feet, the 
car, secured by ropes, filled with officers, who, with 
all kinds of glasses, were looking out narrowly in the 
direction of Harper's Ferry. I was not mistaken in 
my conjectures. As I afterwards learned, no less a 
dignitary than President Lincoln was momentarily 
looked for. Escorted by General M'Clellan, the Pre- 
sident had already inspected a great portion of the 
Federal army of the Potomac ; and as this was to be 
kept a secret, my visit was necessarily to be a short 
one. 

During the time my young companion was an- 
nouncing my presence to General Porter, I directed 
my eye towards the river, and there stood my pine- 
tree, not more than three miles distant in a straight 
line, plainly in view. 

From General Porter's tent I could now hear the 
sound of voices in excited conversation ; indeed, I 
caught several very angry expressions before my 
guide returned with a flushed face, in which one 
could read plainly the reprimand that had been given 
him, and desired me to enter. General Porter, as he 
rose to receive me, I found to be a man of rather 
above the middle height, with a frank and agreeable 
face, the lower part of which was covered with a 
luxuriant black beard, and in his wliole bearing and 
appearance the soldier. The floor of his ample tent 
was carpeted, easy-chairs and a couch offered their 
accommodations, and his headquarters had all the 
comfort of a well-furnished drawing-room. After a 
brief interchange of salutations, ensued the following 
colloquy : — 

Federal General. — " You will allow me to express 
my regret that you have been brought here, and to 
say that a grave fault has been committed in your 



INTERVIEW WITH GENEliAL rOllTEll. 195 

Confederate Major. — " General, I have been long 
enough a soldier to know that a grave mistake has 
been committed, but I also know that the fault is 
not on my side." 

Fed. Gen. — "You are right — I ask your pardon. 
But why did you inquire for General Pleasanton, 
and what in the world induced you to suppose that 
he was in command here ? I do not myself know 
where General Pleasanton is — at this moment he 
may be on your side of the Potomac." 

Confed. Major. — " Where General Pleasanton is 
to-day I am certainly not able to tell ; but as I had 
the pleasure of seeing him with my own eyes last night 
returning with considerable haste to this side of the 
river, I had the right to suppose that he was here." 

Fed. Gen. (laughing). — " I can have no objection 
to your conjecture. When do you think to join 
General Stuart again ? " 

Confed. Major. — " Should I ride all night, I may 
hope to reach him some time to-morrow morning." 
(I was dancing at half-past ten o'clock that same 
night at " The Bower.") 

Fed. Gen. (again laughing). — " You seem to enjoy 
riding at night." 

Coifed. Major. — "Very much, at this delightful 
season of the year." 

The General now very courteously offered me some 
refreshments, which I declined, saving and excepting 
a single glass of brandy-and- water. I then delivered 
my despatches, pocketed my receipt for them, and 
took leave of a man whom I could not help admiring 
for his amenity of manners and high soldierly bear- 
ing. General Fitzjohn Porter proved to be too much 
of the gentlemairfoftlie Northern Government. He 
was very soon afterwards dismissed from the service 
for faults alleged to have been committed during 
Pope's campaigns, but I have pleasure in bearing my 
testimony (that of an enemy) to his qualities as a 
gallant soldier and an excellent h^diter. 



196 A PARTING PIECE OF ADVICE. 

I availed myself of this opportunity of writing 
from the tent of the Adjutant-General a private note 
to Major Von E., a former brother officer of mine in 
the Prussian army, who was serving on M'Clellan's 
Staff, looking to an interview, possibly under similar 
circumstances as had now brought me into the 
Federal lines, which interview, however, never took 
place. Starting now upon my return, I could not 
help expressing to my escort how very much I re- 
gretted he should have incurred the displeasure of 
his general by conducting me to him. He had the 
amazing effrontery to deny that this Avas the case ; 
but I knew better. Soon afterwards he offered me a 
cigar, which I thankfully accepted, and, finding it 
excellent, praised very highly ; whereupon he said, 
that having a large supply of them, he should be 
only too happy if I would consent to take a few 
boxes as a present, adding that he believed we were 
entirely cut off from luxuries of this kind. I thanked 
him cordially, but declined his friendly proposal, as- 
suring him that he was altogether mistaken as to this 
matter, inasmuch as the steamers that were constantly 
running the blockade kept us abundantly provided 
with havannas. This was not strictly true, and I made 
the little sacrifice to pride with an almost broken heart. 

We had the same long roundabout ride on our 
return, and it was late in the evening when we 
arrived on the bank of the Potomac, through whose 
waters I was conducted half-way by my friendly foe, 
who, as we shook hands at parting, regTetted that we 
were enemies to each other, and said that he hoped 
we should meet a^ain, "when this cruel war was 
over," under happier circumstances. I thanked him 
for his kindly feeling, and begged him to take a 
lesson from me as a fareAvell offerinsf. Showinsj him 
my pine-tree on the Maryland shore which had 
served me as landmark, I said to him — " JMy young 
friend. General Fitzjohn Porter's headquarters in a 
straight line are not three miles from that tree — he 



MY EEPORT TO JACKSON. 197 

is in command of your right wing : to deceive me, 
you have conducted me all around the country, but I 
have always known where I was, and I have passed 
three divisions of your army ; moreover, an important 
personage is every moment expected at General Por- 
ter's tent, and this personage is no other than Pre- 
sident Lincoln." My courteous adversary laughed 
heartily at this, and said, " Well, I did not believe 
that in any other nation of the world there was a 
man who coidd fool a Yankee; you have shown me 
the contrary, and I accept the lesson." We then 
shook hands for the last time, and returned to our 
respective lines. 

Darkness had already set in as I reached Shep- 
herdstown ; nevertheless I stopped for a short time 
at the house of Mrs L., where the recital of my ad- 
ventures greatly interested a crowd of young ladies. 
It was half-past ten o'clock when I arrived again at 
" The Bower," from the brightly illuminated windows 
of which there came the merry sound of nuisic and 
the dance. General Stuart listened with great amuse- 
ment and satisfaction to my report and the particulars 
of my interview with General Porter ; and upon my 
concluding, said, " My dear Von" (one of his many 
forms of salutation to me), "you shall have thirty 
minutes' dancing, and then a fresh horse shall be 
saddled for you, and you must be off at once to make 
your reports to Generals Jackson and Lee." I used 
my thirty minutes well, and had just taken my place 
opposite a very pretty girl in a Virginia reel, when 
J. E. B. suddenly usurped it, saying, "Be off, my 
dear fellow ; I will do your duty here." And he 
did, what time I was galloping through the woods in 
the darkness of the night. 

One o'clock had passed when, after a ride of four- 
teen miles, I reached Jackson's headquarters, where 
everybody was fast asleep. The lightest touch of 
my hand awoke old Stonewall, and, recognising my 
voice, he cried out, " Ah ! there you are, my dear 



198 RECEPTION AT GENERAL LEE S. 

Major ; you must bring us important news from the 
Yankees." I replied tliat I did, but that fortunately 
I had nothing alarming to report. Then, availing 
myself of the General's kind invitation, I stretched 
myself on the blanket by his side and quietly told 
my story, to which he listened attentively, inter- 
rupting me several times in his peculiar way with 
" Good, good : " which was always the highest ex- 
pression of his satisfaction. Thanking me much for 
my report, he said that he would himself ride over 
to General Lee's headquarters at daybreak, and thus 
save me the ride there for the present ; that some 
time during the day I could proceed to Falling 
Waters, but above all things he desired my imme- 
diate return to Stuart, that he might be summoned 
to an interview at General R E. Lee's. The sun had 
just peeped above the eastern horizon as I galloped 
up the hill to the tent of General Stuart, whom I liad 
great difficulty in rousing from his slumbers. The 
General proposed to me to ride back with him as 
soon as his horse was saddled, but this I respectfully 
declined, saying that I desired first to get the few 
hours' sleep which I was under the impression I had 
richly deserved. 

The day was already far advanced, when, after 
long and ineffectual efforts on the part of my negro 
William to bring me into a waking condition, I was 
at last stirred to consciousness by the aroma of my 
morning cup of coffee. The rich sunlight of October 
lay full over the landscape, as, refreshed by a hearty 
breakfast, I again rode along the highway towards 
Winchester. General Lee's headquarters were exactly 
in the centre of our army in its encampment, about 
midway between Bunker Hill and Winchester, at a 
little place called Falling Waters. On either side of 
the turnpike stretched for miles the camps of our 
troops, who plainly showed, in their healthy appear- 
ance and by their jokes and songs, how soon they had 
forgotten the fatigues and hardships of the recent 



VARIOUS KINDS OF GAME. 199 

campaign. I readied General Lee's tents in the 
afternoon, and was cordially greeted by my com- 
rades, the officers of his Staff, whom I had not seen 
since the battle of Sharpsburg. The Commander-in- 
Chief himself received me at once with his invariable 
kindness, and heard my report of yesterday's pro- 
ceedings with the liveliest interest. 

The Quartermaster of the army. Colonel Corley, 
having received a large supply of common English 
boots of yellow leather for officers and men, I seized 
the opportunity of purchasing a pair for the very 
moderate sum of sixteen dollars, and threw them 
across the pommel of my saddle, where they seemed 
almost as huge as the seven-league boots of the pan- 
tomime. Just as I was returning home I had the 
good fortune to encounter Lieutenant Channing Price, 
of our Staff, who had come to headquarters on a 
special boot-mission of his own, and we enjoyed a 
most delightful ride back to "The Bower" through 
the woods, then gay with autumnal tinges. 

For days afterwards there was perfect quiet at our 
headquarters. No cannonade shook the air, and the 
lazy, listless life we led was in harmony with the 
serenity of the season, which charmed us with the 
repose and loveliness of the American Fall. The 
wooded hills and rich fields around " The Bower" 
abounded in game — partridges, pheasants, wild tur- 
keys, hares, and grey squirrels — so that I could 
indulge to the fullest extent my passion for sport. 
Unfortunately for my bag, my ambition led me to 
direct my attention chiefly to the wild turkey, which 
is by no means so easy to kill as I had imagined. 
It differs very much from the domestic turkey, hav- 
ing a taller and slighter frame, with plumage of 
varied tints from a rich green to a darkish brown. 
These birds live in flocks of from six to eight, or 
even more where several families unite. The hen 
lays her eggs during the month of April in the nest, 
which is usually built in the open fields, and the 



200 MY FAVOURITE SPORTING HAUNT. 

young are fully grown about the end of October, at 
which time they are quite fat from the abundant 
nourishment they have derived from the fields of 
Indian corn. The meat is much darker and of more 
decided flavour than that of the domestic turkey. 
The best way of getting a shot at them in the autumn 
is to call them, but a very good way is to hunt them 
with dogs, which must be trained for the purpose, 
and which, as soon as a flock has been started, dis- 
perse it and pursue the single birds so long and with 
such loud barking that they fly in affright to the tree, 
where the S2:)ortsman finds it a simple matter to bring 
them down. They fly only when pressed in this 
manner or when suddenly driven out of a thicket, 
but they run with the celerity of the greyhound, and 
are extremely wary and cunning. If in Europe one 
uses the proverb "As stupid as a turkey," in America 
one says " As smart as a wild gobbler." The Ame- 
rican pheasant is a fine bird, about the size of the 
English grouse, but the meat is far superior, and I 
thought it the best game I had ever eaten. The 
Virginia hare is of very small size, and resembles 
the European rabbit in habits and appearance. It is 
an easy prey for any fast pointer dog, but the meat 
is of very inferior quality. 

Very near " The Bower," on the opposite side of 
the Opequan, I had discovered a charming little 
valley, through j^diich ran a sparkling rividet, a tri- 
butary of the larger stream. This valley was nearly 
two miles in length, with a breadth of from fifty to 
one hundred yards, and w^as enclosed by high rocky 
cliffs, covered w^ith a dense growth of oaks and pines. 
In the ravine the richest grass grew abundantly, and 
alternated with little patches of thick undergrowth 
and groups of paw-paw trees, the banana-like fruit 
of which was just ripening. On the immediate 
banks of the creek gigantic tulip-poplar, hickory, 
and walnut trees rose to an immense height, inter- 
lacing their branches so as to form a leafy arch over 



EVENING FESTIVITIES. 201 

the sequestered glen. Here I found always a large 
quantity of game, especially the wild turkey, which 
came at sunrise and at dusk for water ; and here I 
often directed my steps, or rather the steps of my 
pretty grey mule " Kitt." This very small but ex- 
ceedingly strong animal I used always for my shoot- 
ing excursions, and I was often laughed at by my 
comrades as T made my appearance upon her with 
my legs dangling nearly to the ground. But " Kitt" 
carried me excellently well for all that, and, with my 
weight of fifteen stone ten, took all the ordinary 
fences and ditches with the greatest ease. She stood 
perfectly quiet when I shot from her back, and I 
could throw the reins on her neck and go off for 
hours together, with the assurance that on my return 
she would be found grazing or lying down com- 
posedly at the spot where I had left her. Sometimes 
Bob Sweeney, the banjo-player, accompanied me on 
my expeditions with the fowling-piece. Bob had 
the good sense to confine his efforts to the grey 
squirrels and the partridges, of which he killed large 
numbers, while I was running my legs off after the 
larger game. JSTevertheless I enjoyed even my un- 
successful turkey-hunting very much, and w^as fre- 
quently rewarded for my trouble by bagging a pheas- 
ant or a hare. But we had other diversions during 
this period of military inactivity. Pelham and I had 
got hold of a yellow-painted army waggon, captured 
from the Yankees, to which we hitched our horses 
and drove about all over the country, though the 
rapid motion of the vehicle with its hard springs 
over the rough rocky roads nearly shook our souls 
out of our bodies. 

At headquarters we had some very agreeable 
guests, among whom were Colonel Bradley T. John- 
ston, and an intimate friend of General Stuart and 
myself. Colonel Brien, who had formerly commanded 
the 1st Virginian Cavalry, and had resigned his com- 
mission in consequence of his failing health. Every 



202 OUR PANTOMIME. 

evening before starting foi> the mansion-liouse we all 
assembled — guests, officers, couriers, and negroes — 
around a roaring wood-lire in tlie centre of our en- 
campment, where Sweeney, with his banjo, gave us 
selections from his repertoire, which were followed 
by a fine quartette by some of our soldiers, who had 
excellent voices, the alfresco concert always conclud- 
ing with the famous chorus of " Join in the cavalry" 
already mentioned, which was much more noisy than 
melodious. But every evening the negroes would 
ask for the lively measures of a jig or a breakdown — 
a request invariably granted ; and then these darkies 
danced within the circle of spectators like dervishes 
or lunatics — the spectators themselves applauding to 
the echo. 

On the 7tli, a grand ball was to take place at " The 
Bower," to which Mr D. had invited families from 
Martinsburg, Shepherdstown, and Charlestown, and 
in the success of which we all felt a great interest. 
As an exceptional bit of fun, Colonel Brien and I 
had secretly prepared a little pantomime, " The Penn- 
sylvania Farmer and his Wife," in which the Colonel 
was to personate the farmer and I the spouse. Ac- 
cordingly, when the guests had all assembled and 
the ball was quite en train, the immense couple en- 
tered the brilliantly lighted apartment — Brien en- 
veloped in an ample greatcoat, which had been stuffed 
with pillows until the form of the wearer had as- 
sumed the most enormous proportions ; I dressed in 
an old white ball-dress of Mrs D.'s that had been 
enlarged in every direction, and sweetly ornamented 
with half-a-bushel of artificial flowers in my hair. 
Our success greatly outran our expectations. Stuart, 
exploding with laughter, scrutinised me closely on 
all sides, scarcely crediting the fact that within that 
tall bundle of feminine habiliments dwelt the soul 
of his Chief of Staff. Again and again we were made 
to repeat our little play in dumb show, until, getting 
tired of it and wishing to put a stop to it, I grace- 



NEW UNIFOIIM COAT FOR STONEWALL. 203 

fully fainted away and was carried from the room by 
Brien and three or four assistants, amid the wild ap- 
plause of the company, who insisted on a repetition 
of the fainting scene. When, in a few moments, I 
made my appearance in uniform, the laughter and 
applause recommenced, and Stuart, throwing his 
arms around my neck in a burlesque of pathos, said, 
" My dear old Von, if I could ever forget you as I 
know you on the field of battle, your appearance as 
a woman would never fade from my memory." So 
the joyous night went on with dancing and merri- 
ment, until the sun stole in at the windows, and the 
reveille sounding from camp reminded us that the 
hour of separation had arrived. 

From a long rest, after the dissipations of the past 
night, I was roused about noon by General Stuart, 
with orders to ride, upon some little matters of 
duty, to the camp of General Jackson. I was also 
honoured with the pleasing mission of presenting to 
old Stonewall, as a slight token of Stuart's high re- 
gard, a new and very " stunning" uniform coat, 
which had just arrived from the hands of a Eichmond 
tailor. The garment, neatly wrapped up, was borne 
on the pommel of his saddle by one of our couriers 
who accompanied me ; and starting at once I reached 
the simple tent of our great general just in time for 
dinner. I found him in his old weather-stained 
coat, from which all the buttons had been clipped 
long since by the fair hands of patriotic ladies, and 
which, from exposure to sun and rain and powder- 
smoke, and by reason of many rents and patches, 
was in a very unseemly condition. When I had de- 
spatched more important matters, I produced General 
Stuart's present, in all its magnificence of gilt buttons 
and sheeny facings and gold lace, and I was heartily 
amused at the modest confusion with which the hero 
of many battles regarded the fine uniform from many 
points of view, scarcely daring to touch it, and at 
the quiet way in which, at last, he folded it up care- 



204 THE general's RECEPTION OF IT. 

fully, and deposited it in his portmanteau, saying to 
me, " Give Stuart my best thanks, my dear Major — 
the coat is much too handsome for me, but I shall 
take the best care of it, and shall prize it highly as a 
souvenir. And now let us have some dinner." But 
I protested energetically against this summary dispo- 
sition of the matter of the coat, deeming my mission, 
indeed, but half executed, and remarked that Stuart 
would certainly ask me how the uniform fitted its 
owner, and that I should, therefore, take it as a 
personal favour if he would put it on. To this he 
readily assented with a smile, and, having donned 
the garment, he escorted me outside the tent to the 
table where dinner had been served in the open air. 
The whole of the Staff were in a perfect ecstasy at 
their chiefs brilliant appearance, and the old negro 
servant, who was bearing the roast-turkey from the 
fire to the board, stopped in mid-career with a most 
bewildered expression, and gazed in wonderment at 
his master as if he had been transfigured before him. 
Meanwhile, the rumour of the change ran like elec- 
tricity through the neighbouring camps, and the sol- 
diers came running by hundreds to the spot, desirous 
of seeing their beloved Stonewall in his new attire ; 
and the first wearing of a fresh robe by Louis XIV., 
at whose morniuGf toilet all the world was accustomed 
to assemble, never created half the sensation at Ver- 
sailles, that was made in the woods of Virginia by 
the investment of Jackson in this new regulation 
uniform. 

Eeaching our camp again in the evening, I was 
informed by General Stuart that he was to start the 
next day with a portion of his cavalry on an ex- 
tended military expedition, and that, much as he 
regretted being constrained to leave me behind, it 
was yet necessary that I should remain, to fill his 
place in his absence, to act for him in case of emer- 
gency, and to keep up frequent communications 
with General Lee. With how much pain and dis- 



EXPEDITION INTO PENNSYLVANIA. 205 

content I received this information, I do not care 
to say ; but I had profited too much by my experi- 
ence in that excellent school of military discipline, 
the Prussian army, to make any remonstrance. 



CHAPTEE IX. 



«r 



THE EXPEDITION INTO PENNSYLVANIA — LIFE AT "THE BOWER 
DUHING GENERAL STUART's ABSENCE — THE GENERAL's 
OWN REPORT OF THE EXPEDITION — CAMP LIFE AT " THE 
bower" continued, and THREATENED FINAL DEPARTURE, 
WITH AN INTERLUDE OF TWO DAYS' FIGHTING NEAR KEAR- 
NEYSVILLE — A VIVACIOUS VISITOR — MILITARY REVIEW — 
AT LAST WE BREAK UP CAMP AT "THE BOWER." 

The day came, the 9th of October, and with its 
earliest streakings of light the bustle of preparation 
for departure. Arms were cleaned, horses were 
saddled, and orderlies were busy. About eight 
o'clock the bugle sounded to horse, and soon after- 
wards I, and the rest of my comrades who had been 
left with me behind, saw, with great depression of 
spirits, the long column disappear behind the dis- 
tant hills. We determined, however, with a soldier's 
philosophy, to accept the situation, and to forget 
our disappointment by indulging, as much as was 
compatible with the performance of duty, in rides, 
drives, shooting, and social visiting at ''The Bower." 
So I resumed my field-sports with very great suc- 
cess, except in respect of the turkeys, often accom- 
panied by Brien, who was an excellent shot. 

I had now also the satisfaction of greeting on his 
return to headquarters my very dear friend and com- 
rade. Major Norman Pitzhugh, who had been cap- 
tured, it will be recollected, near Yerdiersville in 
August, and had spent several weeks in a Northern 



20G NEW AERIVALS AT HEADQUARTERS. 

prison. There was much for us to talk over in the 
rapid vicissitudes which had been brought about by 
the progress of the war during our separation. 
Fitzhugh had been pretty roughly handled at the 
beginning of his captivity, and the private soldiers 
of the enemy that took him — provoked, probably, 
by his proud bearing — had ill-treated him in the 
extreme ; but he soon met officers whom he had 
known before the war in the regular army, and 
afterwards fared better. On the 10th arrived Major 
Terrell, who had formerly served on General Eobert- 
son's staff, and was now under orders to report to 
General Stuart, and we had again a pleasant little 
military family at our headquarters. 

From General Stuart we heard nothing for several 
days. There were some idle rumours, originating 
doubtless with the Yankee pickets, that he had 
been killed, that his whole command had been dis- 
persed, captured, &c. Though we certainly did not 
in the least credit this nonsense, we were yet not 
without a good deal of anxiety as to the" result of 
the expedition ; and as I was under the necessity, 
in any event, of inspecting our line of outposts, 
I rode on the 12th to Shepherdstown, in the hope 
of obtaining some more trustworthy information. 
Here I received the earliest tidings of -the General's 
successful ride through Pennsylvania, the capture 
of Chambersburg, and his great seizure of horses, 
and also learned that our daring band of horsemen 
was already on its rapid return to Virginia. I 
availed myself of the opportunity while in Shep- 
herdstown of paying my respects to Mrs L., by whom 
and the other ladies of her household I was wel- 
comed with the utmost kindness. 

On the morning of the 13th General Stuart ar- 
rived again safely at " The Bower," heralding his 
approach from afar by the single bugler he had with 
him, whose notes were somewhat oddly mingled 
with the thrum of Sweeney's banjo. Our delight 



STUARTS EETUEN, AND HIS SUCCESS. 207 

in being again together was unspeakable, and was 
greatly enhanced by the glorious issue of the expedi- 
tion. Many prisoners had been taken ; he had se- 
cured large numbers of horses and mules, and he 
had inflicted great material damage upon the enemy. 
All my comrades had mounted themselves on fresh 
horses, and they came back with wonderful accounts 
of their adventures across the border, what terror 
and consternation had possessed the burly Dutch 
farmers of Pennsylvania, and how they groaned in 
very agony of spirit at seeing their fine horses carried 
off' — an act of war which had been much more 
rudely performed for months and months, not to 
mention numberless barbarities, never sanctioned 
in civilised warfare, by the Federal cavalry in Vir- 
ginia. 

General Stuart gave me a gratifying proof that 
he had been thinking of me in Pennsylvania, by 
bringing back with him an excellent bay horse 
which he had himself selected for my riding. 

As I am fortunate enough to have General Stuart's 
own official report in MS. of this memorable enter- 
prise among my papers, I give it here, in the belief 
that the reader will be glad to follow our horsemen 
upon their journey in the words of the dashing 
raider himself 

"Headquarters, Cavalry Division, 
October 14, 1862. 

"To General R. E. Lee, 

*' Through Colonel E. H, Chilton, A. A. General, Army of 
Northern Virginia. 

" Colonel, — T have the honour to report that on 
the 9th inst., in compliance with instructions from 
the Commanding General, Army of Northern Vir- 
ginia, I proceeded on an expedition into Pennsyl- 
vania with a cavalry force of 1800 men and four 
pieces of horse-artillery, under cominand of Brig.- 
Gen. Hampton and Cols. W. H. F. Lee and Jones. 



208 GENERAL STUAET S REPOKT. 

This force rendezvoused at Darkes\dlle at 12 o'clock, 
and marched thence to the vicinity of Hedgesville, 
where it camped for the night. At daylight next 
morning (October 10th) I crossed the Potomac at 
M'Coy's (between Williamsport and Hancock) with 
some little opposition, caj)turing two or three horses 
of the enemy's pickets. We were told here by the 
citizens that a large force had camped the night 
before at Clear Spring, and were supposed to be en 
route for Cumberland. We proceeded northward 
until we reached the turnpike leading from Hagers- 
town to Hancock (known as the National Koad). 
Here a simal station on the mountain and most of 
the party, with their flags and apparatus, were sur- 
prised and captured, and also eight or ten prisoners 
of war, from whom, as well as from citizens, T 
learned that the large force alluded to had crossed 
but an hour ahead of me towards Cumberland, and 
consisted of six regiments of Ohio troops, and two 
batteries under General Cox, and were en route, via 
Cumberland, for the Kanawha. I sent back this 
intelligence at once to the Commanding General. 
Striking directly across the National Eoad, I pro- 
ceeded in the direction of Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, 
which point was reached about 12 o'clock. I was 
extremely anxious to reacli Hagerstown, where large 
supplies were stored, but was satisfied from reliable 
information that the notice the enemy had of my 
approach, and the proximity of his forces, would 
enable him to prevent my captming it. I there- 
fore turned towards Chambersburg. I did not reach 
this point till after dar]^^in a rain. I did not deem 
it safe to defer the attack till morning ; nor was it 
proper to attack a place full of women and children 
without summoning it first to surrender. I accord- 
ingly sent in a flag of truce and found no military 
or civil authority in the place ; but some prominent 
citizens, who met the officers, were notified that the 
place would be occupied, and if any resistance were 



PREPARATIONS FOR RETURN. 209 

made the place would be shelled in three minutes. 
Brigadier-General Hampton's command being in 
advance, took possession of the place, and I ap- 
pointed him Military Governor of the city. No inci- 
dents occurred during the night, throughout which 
it rained continuously. The officials all fled the 
town on our approach, and no one could be found who 
would admit that he held office in the place. About 
275 sick and wounded in hospital were paroled. 
During the day a large number of horses of citizens 
were seized and brought along. The wires were cut 
and the railroad obstructed, and Colonel Jones's com- 
mand was sent up the railroad towards Harrisburg 
to destroy a trestlework a few miles off. He, how- 
ever, reported that it was constructed of iron, and he 
could not destroy it. Next morning it was ascer- 
tained that a large number of small-arms and muni- 
tions of war were stored about the railroad buildings, 
all of which that could not be easily brought away 
were destroyed — consisting of about 5000 new 
muskets, pistols, sabres, and ammunition ; also a 
large assortment of army clothing. The extensive 
machine-shops and depot buildings of the railroad 
and several trains of loaded cars were entirely 
destroyed. From Chambersburg I decided, after 
mature consideration, to strike for the vicinity of 
Leesburg as the best route of return, particularly as 
Cox's command would have rendered the direction 
of Cumberland, full of mountain gorges, exceedingly 
hazardous. The route selected was through an open 
country. Of course I left nothing undone to prevent 
the inhabitants from detecting my real route and 
object. I started directly towards Gettysburg, but, 
having passed the Blue Eidge, turned back towards 
Hagerstown for six or eight miles, and then crossed 
to Maryland by Emmettsburg, where, as we passed, 
we were hailed by the inhabitants with the most 
enthusiastic demonstrations of joy. A scouting party 
of 150 lancers had just passed towards Gettysburg, 





210 DANGERS OF THE HOMEWAKU ROUTE. 

and I regretted exceedingly that my march did 
not admit of the delay necessary to catch them. 
Taking the route towards Frederick, we intercepted 
despatches from Colonel Eush (Lancers) to the com- 
mander of the scout, wdiich satisfied me that our 
wdiereabouts was still a problem to the enemy. 
Before reaching Frederick, I crossed the Monocacy, 
and continued the march throuf^hout the night, via 
Liberty, New Market, and Monrovia, on the Balti- 
more and Ohio Eailroad, where w^e cut the telegraph 
wires and obstructed the railroad. We reached at 
daylight Hyattstown, on M'Clellan's line of com- 
munication wdth Washington, but we found only a 
few waggons to capture, and pushed on to Barnes- 
ville, which \ve found just vacated by a company 
of the enemy's cavalry. We had here corroborated 
what w^e had heard before, that Stoneman had be- 
tween four and five thousand troops about Poolesville 
and guarding the river fords. I started directly for 
Poolesville, but instead of marching upon that point, 
I avoided it by a march through the woods, leaving 
it two or three miles to my left, and getting into 
the road from Poolesville to the mouth of the Mono- 
cacy. Guarding well my flanks and rear, I pushed 
boldly forw^ard, meeting the head of the enemy's 
force going towards Poolesville. I ordered the 
charge, w-hich was responded to in handsome style 
by the advance squadron (Irvine's) of Lee's brigade, 
which drove back the enemy's cavalry upon the 
column of infantry advancing to occupy the crest 
from which the cavalry were driven. Quick as 
thought Lee's sharpshooters sprang to the ground, 
and, engaging the infantry skirmishers, held them in 
check till the artillery in advance came up, which, 
under the gallant Pelham, drove back the enemy's 
force upon his batteries beyond the Monocacy, 
between which and our solitary gun there was a 
spirited fire for some time. This answered, in con- 
nection w^ith the high crest occupied by our piece, to 



RESULTS OF THE RAID. 211 

screen entirely my real movement quickly to the 
left, making a bold and rapid strike for White's 
Ford, to force my way across before the enemy at 
Poolesville and Monocacy could be aware of my 
design. Although delayed somewhat by about 200 
infantry strongly posted in the cliffs over the ford, 
they yielded to the moral effect of a few shells 
before engaging our sharpshooters ; and the cross- 
ing of the canal (now dry) and river was effected 
with all the precision of passing a defile on drill — a 
section of the artillery being sent with the advance 
and placed in position on the Loudon side, another 
piece on the Maryland heights, while Pelham con- 
tinued to occupy the attention of the enemy with 
the other, withdrawing from position to position 
until his piece was ordered to cross. The enemy 
was marching from Poolesville in the mean time, 
but came up in line of battle on the Maryland bank, 
only to receive a thundering salutation, with evident 
ef!ect, from our guns on this side. I lost not a man 
killed on the expedition, and there were only a few 
slight wounds. The enemy's loss is not known, but 
Pelham's one gun compelled the enemy's battery to 
change its position three times. 

"The remainder of the march was destitute of 
interest. The conduct of the command, and their 
behaviour towards the inhabitants, are worthy of 
the highest praise. A few individual cases only 
were exceptions in this particular. Brigadier- Gene- 
ral Hampton and Colonels Lee, Jones, Wickham, 
and Butler, and the officers and men under their 
commands, are entitled to my lasting gratitude for 
their coolness in danger and cheerful obedience to 
orders. Unoffending persons were treated with 
civility, and the inhabitants were generous in their 
proffers of provisions on the march. We seized and 
brought over a large number of horses, the property 
of citizens of the L^nited States. The valuable in- 
formation obtained in this reconnaissance as to the 



212 RESULTS OF THE EAID. 

distribution of the enemy's force, was communicated 
orally to the Commanding General, and need not 
be here repeated. A number of public functionaries 
and prominent citizens were taken captive, and 
brought over as hostages for our own unoffending 
citizens, whom the enemy has torn from their homes, 
and confined in dungeons in the North. One or two 
of my men lost their way, and are probably in the 
hands of the enemy.* The results of this expedition, 
in a moral and political point of view, can hardly 
be estimated, and the consternation among property- 
holders in Pennsylvania was beyond description. I 
am specially indebted to Captain B. I. White (C.S. 
Cavalry) and to Messrs Hugh Logan and Harbaugh, 
whose skilful guidance was of immense service to 
me. My Staff are entitled to the highest praise for 
untiring energy in the discharge of their duties. I 
enclose a map of the expedition, drawn by Captain 
W. W. Blackford to accompany this report ; also a 
copy of orders enforced during the march. 

" Believing that the hand of God was clearly 
manifested in the signal deliverance of my command 
from danger and the crowning success attending it, 
I ascribe to Him the praise, the honour, and the 
glory. — I have the honour to be, most respectfully, 
your obedient servant, 

(Signed) J. E. B. Stuart, 

Major-General Commanding Cavalry.'' 

All now went merrily agam at " The Bower." 
General Stuart, who had been blessed with the satis- 
faction of " winning golden opinions from all sorts of 
people," was the lightest-hearted of the whole com- 
pany. On the 15th another ball was given in honour 
of the expedition, and the ladies of the neighbour- 
hood were brought to the festivity in vehicles cap- 

* "I marched from Chambersburg to Leesburg, 90 miles, with 
only one hour's halt, in thirty- six hours, inchxding a forced 
passage of the Potomac — a march without a parallel in history. " 



RENEWED ATTACK BY THE ENEMY. 213 

tured in the enemy's country, drawn by fat Pennsyl- 
vania horses. Stuart was, of course, the hero of the 
occasion, and received many a pretty compliment 
from fair lips.* Yielding to the urgent solicitations 
of the ladies and the General, Brien and I again 
produced our popular extravaganza, which was re- 
ceived, as at its first representation, with the great- 
est ap23lause. 

The beams of the morrow's sun were just making 
their way through the intricacies of foliage above our 
heads, as we lay in camp resting from the fatigues of 
the night's dancing, when a blast of the bugle brought 
the whole command to their feet, with its summons 
to new and serious activity. The enemy in strong 
force, with cavalry, infantry, and artillery, had crossed 
the Potomac during the latter part of the night, had 
driven in our pickets, and were resolutely advancing 
upon the main body of our cavalry, which, having 
been duly advised of their approach, confronted the 
far superior numbers of the Yankees in a tolerable 
position on the turnpike between Shepherdstown and 
Winchester, near the small hamlet of Kearneysville. 
General Stuart had already with great promptness 
reported their advance to Generals Lee and Jackson, 
asking for reinforcements ; our hor^ 3S were now sad- 
dled, and we soon passed at a full gallop the mansion- 
house of " The Bower," where only a few hours before 
the violin and banjo had sent forth their enlivening 
strains, riding forward to the scene of action, which 
already resounded with wilder music. 

We found a full division of the Federal infantry 
moving upon us in admirable order, their cavalry 
operating on either flank, and their artillery seeldng 
to get into position upon some heights in our front, 

* The ladies of Baltimore presented General Stuart at this time 
with a pair of golden spurs, as a token of their appreciation, 
whereupon he adopted for himself the nom de guerre, ' ' Knight of 
the Golden Spurs," signing his name, in private letters of his, 
sometimes "K.G.S." / 



214 THE ATTACK SUSrENDED. 

where several pieces had already arrived aud had 
opened a brisk and annoying fire upon our horsemen. 
Large clouds of dust rising all along the road towards 
Shepherdstown indicated the approach of other bodies 
of the enemy, and it was quite plain that our resist- 
ance to odds so overwhelming could be only of short 
duration. 

A great part of our men had been dismounted as 
sharpshooters, and General Stuart and myself endea- 
voured to place them to the greatest advantage, and 
to animate them to the utmost obstinacy in the fight 
by our own example, on horseback as we were, and 
exposed to the continuous fire of the Federal tirail- 
leurs; but w^e were compelled to withdraw from 
position to position, all the time happily well pro- 
tected in our retreat by the excellent service of our 
horse-artillery under the untiring Pelham. During 
the afternoon we were reinforced by a brigade of 
infantry, which aided in checking for a time the on- 
ward movement of the enemy, but which did not 
accomplish as much as we had hoped for, and the 
order for a still further retreat had just been given, 
when about dusk the Federals came to a halt, and, 
to our infinite surprise, turned slowly back for a mile 
and a half, where we soon saw the main body go 
quietly into bivouac, and became convinced from 
their numerous camp-fires that no further attack was 
to be apprehended during the night — if, indeed, 
satisfied with their success, they had not determined 
to return the following day into Maryland. 

General Stuart himself directed the placing of a 
strong double cordon of outposts, and, having planted 
two pieces of artillery on a crest of the road, gave 
orders for the remainder of his troops to bivouac and 
cook their rations. The General then proceeded with 
his Staff to headquarters at " The Bower," which was 
only a few miles distant. Before we reached there 
we were overtaken by a drenching shower of rain, 
and we thankfully accepted Mr D.'s kind invitation 



ENGLISH VISITORS. / 215 

I 

on our arrival to dry our dripping garments and warm 
our chilled bodies before a roaring wood-fire in his 
large and comfortable family drawing-room. Here 
we found two Englishmen, the Hon. Francis Lawley, 
the well-known Eichmond correspondent of the 
' Times/ and Mr Vizetelly, who was keeping the 
readers of the ' Illustrated London News ' informed 
of the events of the war with pen and pencil, with 
both of whom we were to spend many pleasant honrs 
in camp. These gentlemen were at the time guests 
at General Lee's headquarters, and had undertaken 
the long ride to " The Bower " for the satisfaction of 
one day with Stuart. This satisfaction had been 
greatly marred by the troublesome advance of the 
Yankees ; but by snatching a few hours from the 
night, we secured time enough for a delightful parley, 
of which the news from the old country formed a 
considerable part. 

The fighting was renewed at an early hour the 
next day ; and, as the enemy was also reported to be 
advancing in strength upon Charlestown from Har- 
per's Ferry, it appeared to be a general movement of 
the whole Federal army. At "The Bower" the 
breaking up of our camp seemed to indicate a final 
departure from our soldier's paradise. The tents 
were struck, the waggons were packed, and every 
preparation was made for starting at any moment. 
Our amiable guests, who had come only for a day, 
had now an additional reason for taking leave, as 
they were not prepared for accompanying us upon 
any extended military adventure. 

The Yankees, fully conscious of their own strength 
and our comparative weakness, were pressing slowly 
forward, and General Stuart had given orders to our 
troops to offer only a feeble resistance, and retire de- 
liberately to an easily defensible position, about a 
mile and a half from " The Bower," where our artil- 
lery had been eligibly posted on a range of hills 
forming a wide semicircle. About nine o'clock 



216 ANXIETIES AT "THE BOWEK. 

General E. E. Lee arrived, at this point ; A. P. Hill's 
division was on the march to reinforce us ; and it 
seemed clear that the further progress of the Federals, 
certainly any attempt on their part to cross the 
Opequan, would be energetically opposed. At this 
time I received orders from General Stuart to proceed 
wdth a number of couriers at once to the little town 
of Smithfield, about twelve miles distant, where we 
had a small body of cavalry, to watch the enemy's 
movements on our right, and establish frequent com- 
munications with Jackson at Bunker Hill only a few 
miles off. En route I had to pass in the immediate 
neighbourhood of " The Bower," where I found the 
ladies of the family all assembled in the verandah, in 
a state of great excitement and anxiety. I did my 
best to console my fair friends, who wept as they saw 
me ; but I could not help feeling a good deal of soli- 
citude with regard to their position, since they would 
certainly be within range of the artillery fire ; and 
should the enemy get possession of the place by any 
accident, it could hardly be hoped that they would 
not revenge themselves savagely upon the household 
for all the kindness we had received at their hands. 

It was about mid- day when I reached Smithfield, 
which I found occupied by a squadron picketing the 
turnpike to Shepherdstown and Harper's Ferry. «Our 
brigade stationed at Charlestown had evacuated the 
place before the superior numbers of the enemy, and 
retired in the direction of Berryville, so that there 
was nothing in the way of the Federal advance but 
these our pickets, and the dreaded blue uniforms 
were expected by the excited inhabitants to make 
their appearance every minute. Accordingly, I had 
not been more than an hour in the village, when our 
outposts from the Shepherdstown road came gallop- 
ing along in fmious haste, reporting a tremendous 
host of Yankee cavalry right behind them in hot 
pursuit. I rode forward immediately with about 
fifty men to meet the enemy, but found, as is usual 



FALSE ALAEMS— DANGEH OF LEE. 217 

in such cases of alarm, that the danger was by no 
means so imminent as had been represented, the 
Yankees having halted on a little hill about two 
miles from town, and their whole force consisting of 
a squadron of horsemen, which turned back on my 
approach, and moved off when a few carbine-shots 
had been exchanged. This squadron had come from 
Harper's Ferry, along a by-road which struck the 
turnpike at a point about midway between Kearneys- 
ville and Smithlield, which point they had reached 
just ten minutes after General Lee with a very small 
escort had passed by. Our Commander-in-Chief 
had thus very narrowly escaped falling into the 
hands of the enemy, and I thought it necessary to 
despatch a courier at once to General Stuart to in- 
form him that the road was not clear. 

During the afternoon the alarm was renewed, this 
time in the direction of Charlestown ; but industri- 
ously as I endeavoured to discover the whereabouts 
of the Yankee infantry, who had been plainly seen 
advancing along the turnpike with glistening bay- 
onets, and the dust rising on their line of march, I 
could obtain no trace of them whatever, after a ride 
of four miles towards their supposed quarter of 
approach. Late in the evening I received a report 
from- Colonel Jones, now commanding Eobertson's 
brigade, that the hostile forces were retreating again 
towards Harper's Ferry, and that he hoped to be 
again in occupancy of Charlestown even before his 
message could reach me. The firing in the direction 
of " The Bower " had now ceased ; and as I felt well 
assured that the two Federal columns were in cor- 
responding movement, I rightly conjectured that the 
Yankees were also retreating there. So I established 
my men and myself at the house of an interesting 
young widow, who, with her sister, enlivened our 
evening with songs and spirited discourse. 

Agreeably with my expectation, I received orders 
early next morning to return to " The Bower," which 



218 EETURN OF OUR ENGLISH GUEST. 



not a little delighted me.- It was a sparkling, beau- 
tiful morning of autumn, and I enjoyed the ride home 
the more for being fortunate enough — firing from my 
horse's back with my revolver — to kill a grey squirrel, 
which, as our mess arrangements had been thrown 
into utter disorder by the events of the last two days, 
was gladly welcomed the same evening on our dinner 
table. Meanwhile our tents had been again put up 
at " The Bower," and no one who had not visited the 
place in our absence would have supposed that any 
change had occurred in the interim. The Federal 
army, after considerable fighting the previous day, 
had recrossed the Potomac, their rearguard being 
badly cut up by a dashing charge of Lee's cavalry. 
The Federal newspapers called the movement a 
"grand and successful reconnaissance in force," and 
it had evidently been undertaken to counteract a 
little the effect, and abate the ill-feeling, that had 
been produced all over the North by Stuart's expedi- 
tion into Pennsylvania. 

Once more established in quietude at " The Bower," 
we received from our kind friends, Mr D. and his 
family, numberless proofs of their great satisfaction in 
having us near them. In accordance with his promise, 
Mr Vizetelly came now to pay us a longer visit, un- 
accompanied, however, to our regret, by Mr Lawley, 
who had been obliged to go to Eichmond for the pur- 
pose of sending off his regular letter to the ' Times.' 

Our new guest was an old campaigner, who accom- 
modated himself very readily to the hardships of 
camp life, and was soon established in his own tent, 
which I had caused to be erected for him in the 
immediate neighbourhood of that of Blackford and 
myself. He was not long in becoming a general fa- 
vourite at headquarters. Eegularly after dinner, our 
whole family of officers, from the commander down 
to the youngest lieutenant, used to assemble in his 
tent, squeezing ourselves into narrow quarters to hear 
his entertaining narratives, which may possibly have 



EVENING SCENES AND OCCUPATIONS. 219 

received a little embellisliment in the telling, but 
which embraced a very wide circle of human experi- 
ence, and had a certain ease and brilliancy beyond 
most such recitals. The " ingenuous youth " of our 
little circle drank in delightedly the intoxications of 
Mabille and the Chateau des Fleurs, or followed the 
story-teller with eager interest as he passed from the 
gardens and the boudoirs of Paris to the stirring in- 
cidents and picturesque scenery of the Italian cam- 
paign, which he had witnessed as a guest of Garibaldi. 
V. was greatly pleased with our musical entertain- 
ments ; and when, after talking for several hours, he 
had become exhausted, and when, from the gathering 
darkness, we could only distinguish the place where 
he was reclining by the glow of his pipe, and thus 
lost all the play of the features in his rehearsal, we 
proceeded to our great central camp-fire, there to 
renew the negro dances to the music of the banjo — 
scenes which Yizetelly's clever pencil has placed 
before the European public in the pages of the ' Illus- 
trated London News.' Less successful was our friend 
in his efforts to improve the cuisine of our negro 
camp cook, and we often had the laugh upon him — 
especially when one day he produced in triumph a 
roast pig, with the conventional apple in its mouth, 
which we found to be raw on one side and burned to 
a cinder on the other. This work of art had been 
prepared under his own personal management, and 
was served as cochon d Vltalienne, but it proved by 
no means so happy an accident as the original roast 
pig, done d la Ghinoise. 

Our supplies now began to fail in the country 
around "The Bower." The partridges had grown 
exceedingly wild, and we were obliged, each in his 
turn, to make loug excursions into the woods and 
fields to keep our mess-table furnished. I was there- 
fore very much gratified when my friend Eosser 
appeared early one morning at my tent, with the 
news that there was to be a laroje auction sale of 



220 WE ARE "SPILT" ON OUR RETURN. 

native wines and other supplies that very day, at a 
plantation only eight miles off in the direction of 
Charlestown. As all was qniet along our lines, we at 
once determined to attend the sale, so the horses were 
hitched to the yellow-painted waggon, and we were 
soon proceeding at a rapid trot over the rocky road, 
amid the loud outcries and bitter complaints of my 
gallant Colonel of the 5th Virginia Cavalry, who de- 
clared that he had never in his life experienced such 
joltings. Arrived at the place of destination, we 
bought largely, making frequent trials and tastings of 
Corinth and blackberry wines, and returned to camp 
with our waggon well filled with stores of various 
kinds. Among our purchases was an immense pot 
of lard, which we placed in the back part of the wag- 
gon, regarding it as an acquisition of great value for 
our camp biscuit-bakery. We had not, however, 
counted on the melting influence of the sun upon the 
lard, and the consequence was that with every jolt of 
the waggon over the frequent stones in the road, the 
fluid mass sent its jets of grease in a fountain over 
the hams, potatoes, and apples that covered the bot- 
tom of the vehicle. This annoyance, provoking as it 
was, little disturbed our temper, which had been 
somewhat mellowed by the frequent imbibitions of 
the country wine (in the way of tasting) ; and we 
continued our drive at a rattling pace, varying our 
discourse from the gay to the sentimental. We had 
just reached the topic of the tender passion, when, 
all unheeding the roadway before us, I bumped the 
waggon against a large stone with so severe a shock 
that Eosser was thrown out far to the left, while I 
settled down, after a tremendous leap, far to the right. 
Fortunately, beyond some slight contusions, neither 
of us sustained any damage by this rude winding- 
up of our romantic conversation. The horses were 
reasonable enough not to run off, and we quietty con- 
tinued our drive to headquarters, but v/e talked no 
more sentiment on the way. 



REVIEW OF HAMPTONS CAVALRY. 221 

Major Terrell, having been ordered to Wincliester 
in attendance on a court-martial, had left his excellent 
horses to my exclusive use, and my own animals, en- 
larged in number by the addition of the stout Pennsyl- 
vanian, had very much improved by their long rest and 
rich grazing, so that my stable was now extensive, 
and we had many a pleasant ride with our fair lady 
friends. On Sunday the 26th of October, there was 
a grand review of Hampton's brigade, which was 
attended by the ladies from far and near, and as the 
day was lovely, it proved a line military spectacle. 
When the review was over, the officers of our own 
and Hampton's Staff assembled to witness the trial 
of a diminutive one-pounder gun, which turned out 
to be of very little account, and afterwards we had 
some equestrian sports, matches in horse-racing, 
fence-jumping, &c. Captain Blackford, who, with a 
thoroughbred chestnut mare, attempted to take a 
high fence just in advance of Stuart and myself, had 
a severe fall, which was fortunately unattended with 
serious consequences. Eemarking upon it, that, in my 
opinion, the fault lay not so much with the horse as 
with the rider, Stuart said, " Hear Old Von, how grand 
he talks !" Then turning; to me, he added, in a ban- 
ter, "Why don't you jump the fence yourself, if you 
know how to do it better ? " I had never leaped my 
heavy-built Pennsylvanian as yet, and I was in doubt 
whether he was equal to the lofty barrier, but as there 
was no possible escape from Stuart's challenge, I 
struck my spurs into his sides, and over he went like 
a deer, amidst the loud applauses of the General 
himself and other spectators. I had now the laugh 
on my side, and very soon afterwards the opportunity 
of bantering Stuart, when he could say and do 
nothing in reply. Eeturning to camp, we took, as 
a short cut, a road that led through a field of Indian 
corn ; upon getting to the farther end of which, we 
found that the fence, usually pulled down at this 
place, had been recently put up, making a formidable 



222 FAKEWELL TO "THE BOWER." 

barrier to our farther progress. Stuart and others ob- 
serving this, turned off to the right, towards the main 
road ; but seizing my opportunity, I cried out to him, 
" General, this is the way ; " and clearing the five- 
barred fence in a splendid leap, I arrived at headquar- 
ters several minutes in advance of my comrades, whom 
I welcomed upon their approach, rallying my chief 
very much for not having followed my example. 

Our long and delightful sojourn now drew rapidly 
to its close. Guest after guest departed, and every 
day the indications of a speedy departure became 
plainer. At length on the 29th of October, a hazy, 
rainy autumn day, the marching orders came, and 
the hour arrived for the start. A number of the Staff 
did not fail to indulge in the obvious reflection that 
nature wept in sympathy with us at the sef)aration. 
With heavy hearts indeed, we left the beautiful spot, 
and bade adieu to its charming, kindly inhabitants. 
Silently we rode down the hill, and along the margin 
of the clear Opequan stream, musing on the joyous 
hours that had passed away — hours which those few 
of our dashing little band of cavaliers that survived 
the mournful finale of the great war, will ever hold 
in grateful remembrance. 



CHAPTER X. 

CHANGE OF BASE — CROSSING OF THE SHENANDOAH — FIGHTS IN 
LOUDON AND FAUQUIER — CROSSING OF THE RAPPAHAN- 
NOCK — FIGHTS IN THE REGION BETWEEN THE HAZEL AND 

RAPPAHANNOCK RIVERS HEADQUARTERS NEAR CULPEPPER 

COURT-HOUSE — MY DEPARTURE FOR RICHMOND — FIGHTS AT- 
THE POTHOUSE AND ALDIE — RECEPTION AT MIDDLEBURG. 

General M'Clellan, the Federal Commander-in- 
Chief, having largely reinforced his army with regi- 
ments from the new levy of 300,000 volunteers 



PLANS AND COUNTER-PLANS. 223 

called out for nine months, and having brought it to 
a strength of 140,000 men, well equipped in every 
respect, had at last determined upon a forward move- 
ment, all unknowing at the time that the supreme 
command was soon to be taken from him by the 
Government at Washington. The right wing of the 
Federal forces, by a strong demonstration towards 
Harper's Ferry, made a show of invading Virginia 
from this point, but the great bulk of the army 
crossed the Potomac about fifteen miles lower down, 
near the little to^vn of Berlin. General Lee, having 
been opportunely informed by his vigilant cavalry of 
the enemy's operations, had commenced, in the mean 
time, a movement on the opposite side of the Blue 
Ridge, in a nearly parallel direction towards Front 
Royal, being about a day's march ahead. Longstreet's 
corps was in the advance, Jackson's troops following 
slowly, covering the rear, and still holding the passes 
of the Blue Ridge, Snicker's, Ashby's and Chester 
Gaps. The cavalry under Stuart had orders to cross 
the Ridge at Snicker's Gap, to watch closely the' 
movements of the enemy, retard him as much as 
possible, and protect the left flank of our army. 

So we rode quietly along in the tracks of our 
horsemen, who, before the Staff had left " The Bower," 
had proceeded in the direction of Berryville. Our 
mercurial soldiers were as gay as ever, and even the 
most sentimental members of the Stafl" had rallied 
from the despondence incidental to departure from 
our late encampment, when during the afternoon 
we reached en route the little town of Smithfield, 
where, under Bob Sweeney's direction as impre- 
sario, we managed to get up a serenade for the 
amiable widow who had entertained me with such 
hospitality. 

Meanwhile the rain, which had been falling when 
we rode off from " The Bower," had ceased, a keen 
north wind had set in, and it had begun to freeze 
hard, when, late at night, we reached Berry ville^ 



224 NAEEOW ESCAPE DUEING THE NIGHT. 

cHlled, wet, and hungry. The provisions of the 
country had been more or less consumed by the 
troops who had preceded us on the march, and it 
was therefore regarded as exceedingly apropos that 
we w^ere invited to supper by a prominent citizen, at 
whose pleasant house we greatly enjoyed a warm cup 
of tea, a capital old Virginia ham, and afterwards a 
pipe of Virginia tobacco before a roaring wood-fire. 

Our troops bivouacked about two miles from town; 
and as on a march, for the sake of the example, we 
never took up our quarters beneath a roof, we left our 
hospitable entertainer about midnight, and established 
ourselves in an open field under some old locust-trees, 
near several larc^e fodder-stacks, which furnished us 
with abundant food for our horses. It was a clear, 
cold, starlight night, and as we had no protection 
from the frost but our blankets, we kept in lively 
blaze several tremendous fires, the wood for which 
each and every one of us had assisted in collecting. 
General and Staff were all fast asleep, when, on a 
sudden, we were aroused by a loud crash, which start- 
led even the feeding horses and mules. One of the 
old hollow trees, against the trunk of which our larg- 
est fire had been imprudently kindled, after smoulder- 
ing for hours, had at last yielded to the force of the 
wind and fallen heavily to the ground, fortunately 
without doing any damage whatever. 

In the early morning, when we awoke to the reveille, 
the fires had quite burnt out, a white hoar-frost lay 
thickly over every object around us, and the shiver- 
ing officers of our military family expressed in every 
feature their ardent desire for a good warm breakfast. 
As we were discussing the probabilities of such a 
thing, we were most agreeably surprised by the kind 
invitation of a neighbouring planter to satisfy our- 
selves at his hospitable board, an invitation which 
we did not hesitate to accept. To provide against a 
future want of breakfast, when a good Samaritan 
might not be so near at hand, our careful mess-caterer, 



PASSAGE OF THE SHENANDOAH. 225 

the portly doctor of our Staff, availed liimself of the 
opportunity of purchasing a quantity of hams and 
bacon, which, being deposited for safety in an army- 
waggon, were stolen before two hours had elapsed 
by some of our rascally negro camp-followers. 

The sun shone down with the warmth and glory 
of the soft Indian summer, a season of peculiar love- 
liness in America, when we reached the Shenandoah, 
our passage of which was extremely picturesque. 
The banks of this beautiful stream are often bold, 
and sometimes even majestic, the current breaking 
through gigantic clifis which rise to the height of 
several hundred feet on either side, .or flowing placidly 
along between wooded shores, whose stately trees, 
where the river is narrowest, almost intermingle 
their branches. The forests skirting the course of 
the Shenandoah were now glowing with the gorgeous 
hues of the American autumn, which the landscape- 
painter cannot adequately reproduce nor the writer 
properly describe. The light saffron of the chestnut- 
trees was in effective contrast with the rich crimson 
of the oaks and maples, while the trailing vines and 
parasites displayed every tint from the palest pink to 
the deepest purple. Upon the opposite shore, at a dis- 
tance of only a few hundred yards from the margin of 
the river, rose the mountain-range of the Blue Eidge 
thickly covered with forest, within whose depths the 
head of our column was just disappearing as we arrived 
at the bank. The main body was passing the stream, 
while here and there a single trooper might be seen 
watering his horse or quietly examining his weapons. 

On the summit of the mountain we found a portion 
of our Maryland cavalry, which, having been stationed 
there to guard Snicker's Gap, had been engaged in a 
sharp conflict with a party of Federal cavalry that 
disputed its possession, and had driven back their 
opponents with severe loss. Dead bodies of men and 
animals, lying still unburied along the road, gave 
evidence of the obstinacy of the fight on both sides. 

P 



226 INEFFICIENT SYSTEM OF SUPPLY. 

The Federal army in its forward movement had 
meanwhile made but slow progress, the main body 
having proceeded no farther than Leesburg and its 
immediate neighbourhood, only a few detachments of 
cavalry having advanced beyond that point. So we 
continued our march wholly without interruption all 
the beautiful autumn day through the smiling county 
of Loudon, one of the fairest and most fertile regions 
in Virginia, passing many fine estates with extensive 
corn-fields and large orchards, until we arrived in 
the evening in the vicinity of the little village of 
Upperville, where we bivouacked, and without diffi- 
culty obtained abundant provisions for our men and 
forage for our animals. 

The counties of Loudon and Fauquier had known 
but little as yet of the devastations of the war, and 
aboimded in supplies of every description, which were 
eagerly offered for sale by the farmers at moderate 
prices, and might have subsisted our army for six 
months. Instead of being permitted to profit by- this 
plenty, we had been compelled for the past two 
months, through the mismanagement and want of 
experience of the officials of the Quartermaster's 
Department at Eichmond, and against the earnest 
remonstrances of General Lee, to draw all our sup- 
plies from the capital, whence they were sent by 
rail to Staunton, there to be packed into waggons 
and deported beyond Winchester, a distance of more 
than one hundred miles after leaving the railroad. 
The subsistence which was so near at hand was thus 
left for the enemy, by whom it was afterwards used 
to the greatest advantage. The importance, nay the 
necessity, in a war of such magnitude, carried on 
over so vast and thinly-populated a territory, of esta- 
blishing great magazines for the collection and stor- 
age of provisions for the army, very often occurred 
to me during the struggle in America, and I have, 
on several occasions, expressed my opinion with re- 
gard to it. Had the Confederate authorities, foUow- 



OUR STAFF-SURGEON'S FAMILY. 227 

ing Napoleon's example, established at the beginnmg )A^^^* 
of the war (when it might easily have been done) ^ '^-^-^'^ Ki 
large depots of army-supplies at points not exposed,) /i^,/^ 
like Pdchmond, to raids of cavalry, I am convinced \ ^t-f. 
that it would have had a material influence on the l/^ienZ 
final issue of the great conflict. The difficulties that ? ^ ,^ 
were experienced during the last two years of the ) ^j^ 
war in supporting the army, and the terrible priva- r\j?j 
tions to which men and animals were subjected in ^^^^^^ 
consequence of early maladministration and neglect, , tiA^ 
can be known only to those who were eyewitnesses ^^ /iu 
of the misfortune and participants in the suffering. rz-uJ^ 

Having sent out a strong cordon of pickets from 
our place of bivouac near Upperville, General Stuart 
yielded to the urgent solicitations of Dr Eliason, our 
staff-surgeon, to ride with him to his home in the 
village, and spend the evening and night at his 
house. As I was included in the invitation, I bore 
them company. We were received very cordially 
by the ladies of the doctor's family, and many others, 
who, as soon as our arrival was known, had flocked 
to the mansion. I very quickly secured for myself 
the friendship of Dr Eliason's little daughter, a child 
of ten years of age, who suffered under the sad in- 
firmity of blindness. With the most eager interest 
she listened to the words of the foreign soldier, 
whom she required to give her an exact description 
of his personal appearance ; and I was deeply touched 
as I looked into those tender, rayless blue eyes which 
gave back no answering glance to my own, and which 
were yet bent towards me with such seeming intelli- 
gence. How little I thought, as I enjoyed the hos- 
pitality of these kind people, that nine months later 
I was to be brought to their house prostrated by a 
wound which the surgeons declared to be mortal, 
and that I was to be received by them with an afi'ec- 
tionate sympathy such as they could only be ex- 
pected to manifest for a near and dear relative ! 

Z\st October. — Our horses stood at the door of Dr 



228 SURPRISE OF THE ENEMY S CAVALRY. 

Eliason's house at the hour of sunrise, and a short 
gallop brought us to the bivouac of our horsemen, 
whom we at once aroused to activity with orders 
for immediate saddling. As Messieurs the Yankees 
were so long in finding us out. General Stuart had 
determined to look after them ; and in a few minutes 
our column, animated by the hope of again meeting 
the enemy, was in motion along the road leading to 
the little town of Union, about midway between 
Upperville and Leesburg, near which latter place we 
were quite sure of encountering them. We reached 
Union at noon, where we came to a halt, sending 
out in various directions scouts and patrols, who 
speedily reported that the main body of the Federal 
cavalry were at Aldie, where they were feeding their 
horses, having arrived there since morning, but that 
a squadron of them was three miles nearer to us at 
a farm known as Pothouse. Towards this squadron 
we started immediately, and, moving upon by-roads, 
arrived within a few hundred yards of them before 
they had any idea of our approach. Their earliest 
warning of danger was the wild Confederate yell 
with which our advance-guard dashed upon them in 
the charge. They belonged to the 3d Indiana Ca- 
valry, a regiment which we had often met in battle, 
and which always fought with great steadiness and 
courage. I could not resist joining in the attack upon 
our old enemies, and was soon in the midst of the 
fight. This lasted, however, only a few minutes. 
After a short but gallant resistance, the Federal lines 
were broken, a great part of the men were cut down 
or taken prisoners, and the rest of them driven into 
rapid flight, pursued closely by the Confederates. 
Captain Farley* and myself, being the foremost 

* Captaiu Farley, who ser\"ed as a volunteer aide-de-camp on 
the Staff of General Stuart, was a very remarkable young man. 
He was by birth a South Carolinian, but he entered the service 
quite indej^endently of all State military organisations. Promo- 
tions and commissions had been frequently offered him by the 



A HOT PURSUIT. 229 

of the pursuers, had a very exciting chase of the 
captain commanding the Federal squadron, who, at 
every demand that we made for his surrender, only 
spurred his horse into a more furious gallop, occa- 
sionally turning to fire at us with his revolver. But 
each moment I got nearer and nearer to him ; the 
long strides of my charger at last brought me to his 
side; and I was just raising myself in the saddle 
to put an end to the chase with a single stroke of 
my sabre, when, at the crack of Farley's pistol, the 
fugitive, shot through the back, tumbled from his 
horse in the dust. 

Yet a little further Farley and myself continued 
in pursuit of the flying Federals, and then returned 
to rejoin General Stuart. While slowly retracing 
my steps, I discovered the unfortunate captain, lying 
against the fence on the roadside, apparently in great 
agony, and evidently enough in a most uncomfort- 
able situation. Desirous of doing all that I could to 
alleviate his misery, I alighted from my horse and 
raised the poor fellow into an easier recumbent 
position, despatching at the same time one of my 
couriers to our staff- surgeon, Dr Eliason, with the 
request that he would come to me as speedily as 
possible. The wounded officer seemed to me in a 
state of delirium, calling out, as he did, to every 
passing horseman, that the rebels who had killed 

General, but lie refused them all, preferring to be bound to no 
particular line of duty, but to fight, to use an American phrase, 
"on his own hook." He was accustomed to go entirely alone 
upon the most dangerous scouting expeditions. With his own 
hand he had killed more than thirty of his country's enemies, and 
had never received the slightest injury, until June 186,3, when, 
in the great cavalry battle at Brandy Station, a shell from a 
Federal battery terminated his heroic exploits with his life. 
Captain Farley was of medium stature, but he was sinewy, and 
strongly built, and capable of great endurance. His expression 
of countenance was singularly winning, and had something of 
feminine tenderness; indeed, it seemed difficult to believe that 
this boy, with the long fair hair, the mild blue eyes, the soft 
voice and modest mien, was the daring dragoon whose appearance 
in battle was always terrible to the foe. 



230 SINGULAR DEATH OF A FEDERAL OFFICER. 

liim were about to rob him also, and scattering liis 
personal effects, his watch, money, &c., in the road, 
so that I had some difficulty in saving them for 
him. One of our orderlies, who had galloped up, 
begged me to give him the captain's canteen, it 
being a very large and handsome one. This of 
course I refused, the more decidedly as the poor 
fellow had been crying out continually for drink, 
and, resting upon my arm, had already nearly ex- 
hausted the canteen of its contents. In a few 
moments Dr Eliason came up, and, having examined 
the wound, said to me, " Major, this man is mortally 
wounded, but what you have taken for delirium is 
nothing more than a very deep state of intoxication, 
which had commenced before the shot was received." 
I did not at once fully credit this medical opinion, 
and my surprise was therefore great when, taking 
a smell of the canteen, which I had supposed to 
contain water, I found that it had been filled with 
strong apple-brandy, which the unfortunate man had 
snatched at in his dying moments. AVhen the next 
morning I sent his effects to the temporary field- 
hospital, to which he had been conveyed over night, 
I received the report that he had died before day- 
break, still heavily intoxicated. Fortunately we 
were enabled to find out his address, and had the 
satisfaction of sending his valuables to his family in 
Indiana. 

Our squadron that had been sent in chase of the 
Yankees, having continued the game into the village 
of Aldie, and having been much scattered by the 
length of the pursuit, was met at that place by a 
fresh body of Federal horse, and easily repulsed. 
But our main column was very soon at hand for its 
protection, and reached a range of hills overlooking 
the village, in time to see a force of several thousand 
of the enemy's cavalry advancing in beautiful lines 
across an open field on the right. The fight was at 
once opened with great spirit by Pelham's guns. 



THE " STUART HORSE ARTILLERY." 231 

whicli met with a furious response from several 
Federal batteries, and we were soon hotly engaged 
all along our line of battle. The enemy's resistance 
was obstinate ; charges and counter- charges were 
made over the plateau in our front, and" for a time 
the issue seemed doubtful, no decided advantage 
having been gained on either side. At last, how- 
ever, we succeeded in driving the Yankees back 
into the woods, and before sunset they were in full 
retreat, by the road they had come, towards Lees- 
burg. Our flying artillery, under the intrepid and 
energetic John Pelham, whom I have so often had 
occasion to mention in these memoirs, had, as usual, 
done admirable service, disabling several of the 
enemy's guns, and contributing greatly, by the 
terror it carried into their advancing columns, to 
the final result.* About dusk in the evening we 
marched back along the road to Middleburg, near 

* The famous " Stuart Horse Artillery " was made up of volun- ^ 
teers of many nationalities, and embraced Englishmen, French- 
men, Germans, Spaniards, and Americans. Many of these men 
had not brought to the standard under which they served an 
immaculate reputation, but they distinguished themselves on 
every field of battle, and established such an enviable character 
for daring and good conduct that the body was soon regarded as 
a corjjs d^elite by the whole army, and it came to be considered an 
honour to be one of them. I have often seen these men serving 
their pieces in the hottest of the tight, laughing, singing, and 
joking each other, utterly regardless of the destruction which 
cannon-shot and musket-ball were making in their ranks. They 
were devoted to their young chief, John Pelham, whom an Eng- 
lish writer, Captain Chesney, justly styles " the boy hero ;" and as 
they knew my intimacy with him, and as in many engagements 
we had fought side by side, they extended something of this par- 
tiality to myself, and whenever I galloped up to the batteries 
during a battle, or passed them on the march, addressing a 
friendly salutation in English, French, or German, to such of 
them as I knew best, I was always received with loud cheering. 
They called Pelham and myself, in honourable association, "our 
fighting Majors," and after my dear friend's death, and when I 
had myself been disabled by wounds, I often received letters 
from the braves of the " Stuart Horse Artillery " written in a 
style sufficiently inelegant and extraordinary, but exjiressive of 
the sincerest sympathy and attachment. 



232 ENTHUSIASTIC KECEPTION IN MIDDLEBURG. 

wliich place General Stjiart intended to encamp, 
having ordered me to gallop ahead of the column 
into the village to make the necessary arrangements 
for food and forage with the Cavalry Quartermaster 
stationed there. 

Middleburg is a pleasant little place, of some 
1500 inhabitants, which, by reason of its proximity 
to the Federal lines, had often been visited by raid- 
ing and scouting parties of the enemy, an^. had 
suffered specially in the shameless barbarities com- 
mitted by those Yankee robbers, IMilroy and Geary. 
The citizens had awaited the result of our late com- 
bat with the greatest anxiety, and manifested their 
satisfaction at our success in loud exj^ressions of re- 
joicing. Eiding up the main street of the village^ I 
was brought to a halt by a group of very pretty 
young girls, who were carrying refreshments to the 
soldiers, and invited me to partake of them, an offer 
which I was not strong enough to decline. In the 
conversation which followed, my fair entertainers 
expressed the greatest desire to see General Stuart, 
and were delighted beyond measure to hear that the 
bold cavalry leader was my personal friend, and that 
I should probably have little difficulty in persuading 
him to devote a quarter of an hour to their charming 
company. This spread like wildfire througli the vil- 
lage, so that half an hour later, when Stuart gal- 
loped up to me, I was attended by a staff of fifty 
or sixty ladies, of various ages, from blooming girl- 
hood to matronly maturity. The General very will- 
ingly consented to remain for a while that every 
one might have an . opportunity of seeing him, and 
was immediately surrounded by the ladies, all eager 
to catch the words tliat fell from his lips, and many 
with tears in their eyes kissing the skirt of his uni- 
form coat or the glove upon his hand. This was too 
much for the gallantry of our leader, who smilingly 
said to his gentle admirers, "Ladies, your kisses 
would be more acceptable to me if given upon the 



STUART "UNDER FIRE." 233 

cheek." Thereupon the attacking force wavered and 
hesitated for a moment ; but an elderly lady, breaking 
through the ranks, advanced boldly, and, throwing 
her arms around Stuart's neck, gave him a hearty 
smack, which served as the signal for a general charge. 
The kisses now popped in rapid succession like mus- 
ketry, and at last became volleys, until our General 
was placed under as hot a fire as I had ever seen him 
sustain on the field of battle. When all was over, 
and we had mounted our horses, Stuart, who was 
more or less exhausted, said to me, " Von, this is a 
pretty little trick you have played me, but in future 
I shall detail you for this sort of service."' I an- 
swered that I would enter upon it with infinite plea- 
sure, provided he would permit me to reverse his 
mode of procedure, and commence with the young 
ladies. The General and Staff bivouacked with the 
cavalry near Middleburg, while for me was reserved 
the agreeable duty of riding on special business to 
Upperville, where, beneath the hospitable roof of 
Dr Eliason, I passed some pleasant hours with the 
family circle, to whom I had to recite fully the 
events and adventures of the day. 



CHAPTEE XL 

FIGHTS NEAR UNION — RETREAT TOWARDS UPPERVILLE — FIGHT 
NEAR UPPERVILLE— RETREAT TOWARDS PARIS. 

The following morning we received reports that the 
enemy in heavy force was advancing from Leesburg 
in the direction of Union. Thither we marched at 
once, arriving just in time to occupy a naturally 
strong position about a mile and a half from the 
little village. Scarcely had our artillery got ready 



234 GALLANT EXPLOIT OF PELHAM S. 

for action, when the Yankees made their appearance, 
and there began a lively cannonade with spirited 
sharpshooting, the latter doing little damage to either 
party, as the high stone fences which enclose the 
fields in this part of Virginia afforded protection to 
both sides. The Federal cavalry being far superior 
in numbers to our own, and our scouts reporting the 
approach of a strong infantry force, wliose glistening 
bayonets, indeed, we could already see in the far 
prospect, it seemed almost certain that, after some 
little resistance, we should be compelled to retire. 
The Yankees, however, appeared to have their rea- 
sons for not moving too rapidly forward, and so the 
day passed in comparative inaction, the whole re- 
sembling, with its slow manoeuvring of troops and 
regular firing, the operations of a sham-fight or a 
field-day of volunteers. 

Stuart and Fitz Lee, with the officers of their re- 
spective Staffs, had taken their position on a gigantic 
rock, from which they had an excellent view of the 
movements of the Yankees, and could observe with 
perfect security the effect of the incessant explosions 
of the shells that were exchanged between our own 
guns and those of the enemy. We had the opportunity 
here of witnessing one of those daring feats which 
Pelham was so constantly performing. He had been 
greatly annoyed during the day by a squadron of 
Federal cavalry which operated with great dash 
against his batteries, rapidly throwing forward their 
sharpshooters and as rapidly withdrawing them, 
after their muskets had been discharged, behind a 
piece of wood which completely hid them from view. 
This they did before Pelham could get a shot at 
them, and they had already killed or disabled many 
of his horses, when our gallant major, losing all 
patience, suddenly advanced with One of his light 
howitzers at full gallop towards the wood, where the 
horses were unhitched and the piece drawn by hand 
through the impeding undergrowth which rendered 



EFFECT OF HIS SHOT. 235 

further progress of the horses impossible. From our 
position, which was some distance to the right of the 
batteries, we could plainly see the Yankee squadron, 
which had come very quietly to a halt without the 
slightest suspicion that a cannon loaded with a 
double charge of canister was directed upon them 
from a point only a few hundred yards off. All at 
once, the thunder of the howitzer was heard, and its 
iron hail swept through the ranks of the Yankees, 
killing eight of their number, among whom was the 
colour-bearer, wounding several others, and putting 
the rest to flight in hopeless stampede. Pelham and 
his cannoneers now emerged from the wood in a run, 
bringing with them many captured men and horses, 
^nd the Federal standard, amid loud shouts of ap- 
plause. Before the Yankees could recover from their 
astonishment, the howitzer was removed, the horses 
were hitched to it again, and it had arrived safely at 
the battery. 

With the approach of evening the firing ceased, 
and as the smoke of the camp-fires rising all along 
the Federal lines clearly indicated that it was not 
the enemy's intention to push on further during the 
night, Stuart gave orders for his command to encamp 
about a mile beyond Union, after having established 
a strong cordon of pickets in front of the village. 
The General and his Staff bivouacked near the exten- 
sive plantation of a Mr C, at whose house we supped 
luxuriously, our host serving up for us a gigantic 
saddle of Virginia mutton which might have rivalled 
any of the famous southdowns of Old England. 

Peacefully broke the morning of Sunday the 3d of 
November, a rich, soft day, with all the splendour of 
the autumnal sunshine, and all the quietude of the 
Christian Sabbath, till, instead of the sweet church- 
bells from the neighbouring village calling us to the 
house of God, we caught the summons to the field in 
the rattle of musketry and the roar of cannon. It 
would have been exceptional, indeed, if, confronting 



236 FEAEFUL AETILLEEY-FIRE. 

tlie enemy so closely, we had not been compelled to 
fight on this " day of rest," for it is remarkable that 

f i jfp;^ many of the most important and sanguinary engage- 

- f^'*'^'''inents of the war in America — Chancellorsville and 

I V''-V others — were fought on Sunday. 

^ ,. ,uj. The enemy commenced his attack on us at an early 
, j.^^our with great vigour. A double line of tirailleurs 

tcHt^r- advanced in excellent order; four batteries opened 
upon our guns from different points ; the air shook 
with the continuous roar of the cannonade ; on every 
side the bullets buzzed like infuriated insects ; on 
the whole, the outward signs were rather those of 
a great battle than of a mere cavalry combat. This 
day the enemy's artillery was admirably well served, 
and its effect was very dreadful. Just as I rode up 
to a battery, which was answering as rapidly as pos- 
sible the Yankee fire, a hostile shell blew up one of 
our caissons, killing and wounding several of the 
men, and stunning me completely for several minutes. 
For some time the fire was terrific at this spot. In 
less than half an hour one battery alone lost fifteen 
men killed and wounded, and I was obliged to force 
the frightened ambulance-drivers to the assistance of 
their suffering and dying comrades, by putting my 
revolver to their heads and threatening to shoot 
them if they did not go. 

On our right the sharpshooting grew warmer and 
warmer, the enemy bringing line after line of their 
dismounted men into action, and I was despatched 
thither by General Stuart to watch the movements of 
the Yankees, and to animate our soldiers to an obsti- 
nate opposition. Here I found my dashing friend 
Eosser stationed with his brave fellows of the 5th 
Virginia Cavalry. In reply to my question as to 
how he was getting along, he said, " Come and see 
for yourself" So, to obtain a good look at the 
enemy, we rode forward together through the wide 
gaps in the stone fences, which had been made to 
admit of the passage of cavalry and artillery, and 



WE ARE COMPELLED TO EETREAT. 237 

presently discovered, somewhat late, that we had 
got much nearer to our antagonists than we had in- 
tended. Suddenly the Yankee sharpshooters emerged 
from behind rocks and trees, sending their bullets in 
most alarming proximity to our ears, and running 
forward to cut us off from our line of retreat. Fortu- 
nately, we were both well mounted, and our horses 
had escaped a wound, so that we were able to clear 
the stone fences, where they stood in our way, with- 
out difficulty. This steeplechase afforded great amuse- 
ment to Kosser, who seemed delighted at having got 
me into what he called " a little trap," but what I 
regarded as an exceedingly ticklish situation. 

As the far superior numbers of the enemy's cav- 
alry, which up to this time we had successfully 
opposed, began now to be reinforced by infantry, 
General Stuart at last decided to fall back upon a 
new position. The retreat through Union was ad- 
mirably covered by Pelham with his artillery, and 
was executed with great steadiness and order under 
a perfect hail of shot and shell, which, crashing 
through the houses of the little village, had already 
set on fire several stables and straw-ricks. The furi- 
ous flames, leaping from one to another of these great 
masses of combustible material, and the dense vol- 
umes of smoke that rolled from them, added to the 
terror and confusion of the scene, which now became 
truly frightful. On a ridge, behind a small creek 
where we had encamped the previous night, about a 
mile and a half beyond the town on the road leading 
to Upperville, we halted and again confronted our 
assailants, who did not keep us long in waiting for 
their attack, and ere half an hour had elapsed the 
thunder of cannon again shook the air, and the 
sharpshooters on either side were hotly engaged. 

The enemy here, by a resolute and united charge, 
drove a portion of our dismounted men back in some 
confusion through the woods ; and the officer in com- 
mand, the gallant young Captain Bullock of the 5tli 



238 ESCAPE OF CAPTAIN BULLOCK. 

Virginia, in the attempt to rally them, had his horse 
shot under him, and, before, he could get on his legs 
again, found himself surrounded by the Yankees, who 
demanded his surrender. Bullock, however, responded 
with two shots of his revolver, killing two of his ad- 
versaries, and then endeavoured to save himself by 
flight. The whole incident having taken place within 
■fifty paces of Stuart and myself, we could see, and 
even distinctly hear, the Yankees as they gave chase 
to our poor captain. Taking some of our couriers, 
and such of the tirailleurs as had recovered from 
their stampede, with us, we galloped forward at once 
to the assistance of our brave comrade, whom we 
succeeded in rescuing from his pursuers, but in a 
1^ state of such utter exhaustion that we had to lift 
» ' " him to the back of one of the led horses that chanced 
^ to be on the spot. 

f After a short but spirited resistance we were again 

compelled to retire, turning round and showing 

fight wherever the nature of the ground would 

admit of it, until late in the afternoon we took a 

new position near the large estate of Colonel Du- 

^> laney, which was of some strategetical importance. 

1^4 Preparing for a more serious opposition to the 

^ movements of the enemy, Stuart and myself had 

halted on an eminence which afforded an extensive 

view of the surrounding country, when a squadron 

i, ■ of Federal cavalry, which came trotting along over 

*!::; an open field in beautiful lines as if on parade, and 

^ which seemed quite disdainful of the opposing host, 

attracted our attention. Stuart turned to me, and 

said, " Major, pray amuse yourself with giving 

these gentlemen a lesson : take two of Pelham's 

guns, place them in such position as you think best, 

and receive our impudent friends with a proper 

salute.'' Our cannoneers followed me with loud 

expressions of jo^. bringing with them the two 

howitzers,'to a small hill, where dense bushes con- 

^^■cealed our preparations from the enemy's notice. 



TEEMENDOUS CANNONADE. 239 

The guns were carefully aimed, and when the hos- 
tile squadron came within easy range, both shots 
sounded simultaneously, the shells exploding with 
wonderful accuracy right in front of the foe, 
emptying several saddles, and driving our contemp- 
tuous adversaries into headlong flight, along the 
line of wdiich we sent several missiles from the 
howitzers with less eff'ect. 

All our pieces were now concentrated on a wooded 
acclivity, and were soon brought into a spirited 
cannonade with four or five hostile batteries. As 
usual. General Stuart and his Staff" exposed them- 
selves for several hours continuously to the hottest 
fire — shells and solid shot fell around us on all 
sides, covering us with dust and dirt, and tearing 
the splinters from the trees right and left ; and I 
could not comprehend how any of us escaped death. 
The scene was one of the wildest and grandest 
confusion and destruction. Men were falling, killed 
or wounded, on every hand, wounded horses gal- 
loped hither and thither, and the numerous herds 
of cattle, which had until that Sunday grazed 
peacefully in their wide pastures, wrought up to 
the highest pitch of brute frenzy by the first battle 
they had ever known, ran about in frantic terror 
and excitement. 

In the very fury of the cannonade, one or two 
little incidents excited our surprise and amusement. 
A shell, falling in the midst of a large flock of 
sheep, exploded there, and we thought that the 
greater part had been converted into mutton ; but 
when the dust and smoke had cleared away, we 
saw the frightened animals scamper off", not one of 
their number missing, and all apparently unhurt. 
A few minutes afterwards, a stout young bullock, 
out of a herd of oxen that had been galloping up 
and down for a considerable time before our bat- 
teries, suddenly threw a sommersault, and lay, to 
all seeming, dead upon the field, but presently got 



240 A EIDE BETWEEN TWO FIRES. 

on his legs again, and after reeling and tumbling 
about for a little while* in a drunken sort of way, 
started off all at once with the speed of an arrow. 
I have already mentioned cases of prostration ,by 
"• windage " of cannon-balls. A more diverting in- 
stance occurred, in a later fight, with one of our 
soldiers, a North Carolinian, who, lying flat on his 
back, apparently badly wounded, answered to Gene- 
ral Stuart's inquiry whether he was hurt, "Oh, 
General, I shall soon be all right again, but I am 
dreadfully demoralised by a bomb-shell ; " the fact 
being, that a cannon-ball, passing very close to his 
head, had knocked him over. 

With the darkness of evening, our situation be- 
came critical. Our artillery had lost many men 
and horses ; our cavalry, having been exposed all 
day to a murderous fire, had also sufi*ered severe- 
ly, and our sharpshooters were unable any longer 
to resist the double and triple lines of Federal 
tirailleurs, which were again and again sent against 
them. General Stuart accordingly determined to 
retreat to Upperville, and ordered me to recall our 
dismounted men all along the line. To obey this 
order, I had to ride to our extreme right, where 
Captain Farley, with a small body of riflemen, oc- 
cupied some hay-stacks, which he had held all day 
against the vastly superior numbers of the enemy. 
As I was the only man on horseback in range of 
the Yankee carbines, I was exposed for the whole 
distance to a heavy fusillade ; but returning was 
yet more perilous, for having to ride between the 
enemy and our own troops, the former hotly pur- 
suing, and the latter, in their dogged retreat, re- 
turning with spirit every shot that was sent after 
them, I was subjected to two fires, and was in as 
much danger of being killed by friendly as by hos- 
tile bullets. 

The Yankees did not continue their pursuit after 
nightfall, and allowed us to retire quietly to the 



RENEWAL OF THE FIGHTING. 241 

vicinity of Upperville, about a mile from which 
place we bivouacked, A feeling of devout and fer- 
vent thankfulness possessed my heart, as I lay 
down on my blanket for a short night's rest, and 
recalled the innumerable dangers through which 
I had safely passed on that exciting eventful day. 
These smaller combats with the enemy are far more 
dangerous than great battles. Especially is this 
true as regards the ' staff-officer, who, having to be 
constantly in the saddle, remains throughout the 
day exposed to the enemy's particular attentions. 
In a general engagement there is much more rattle 
of musketry and thunder of cannon, but the fire 
is not so much concentrated upon a small tract of 
ground, and four-fifths of the balls and bullets which 
wound or kill, find their mark accidentally. 

3c? Novemher. — Fighting was renewed the follow- 
ing morning, and the tremendous hosts of the Yan- 
kees advancing upon us across the fields, which I 
could compare only to a mighty avalanche, seemed 
likely to crush everything before them ; but the gal- 
lant fellows of Fitz Lee's brigade stood the shock of 
their attack nobly, and succeeded for a time in check- 
ing the onward movement of their columns. Stuart 
perceiving, however, that he could not long maintain 
his ground, sent me off in the direction of Paris to 
select a new position, where the nature of the coun- 
try would facilitate further resistance. This I soon 
found near Ashby's Gap, a few miles from Upper- 
ville, where a range of mountains, spurs of the Blue 
Eidge, accessible for a long distance only by a single 
road, made successful opposition to a far superior 
force possible. On my return to the General, the 
conflict had reached its height, and, in my opinion, 
the urgent necessity of immediate retreat was patent 
to all. Nevertheless, Stuart was for continuing the 
struggle. Again and again animating his men by 
his presence and the exposure of his own person, he 
led our admirable soldiers to the conflict. Not until 

Q 



242 CONFUSION OF OUR RETREAT. 

one of our caissons had been exploded by a well- 
aimed shot ; not until Colonel Wickham, temporarily 
commanding Fitz Lee's brigade, had been wounded 
at my side, a fragment of shell striking him in the 
neck ; not until the hostile infantry was outflanking 
us on either side, — was the order given for the with- 
drawal, which, in consequence of the long delay of 
our commander in issuing the order, was managed, I 
am sorry to say, with a great deal of haste and con- 
fusion, and came very near being a rout. V The dis- 
mounted sharpshooters, running back hurriedly to 
their horses, upon gaining them, rode off, without 
forming, in every direction ; the regiments them- 
selves, exposed to a concentrated withering fire of 
the enemy, galloped confusedly, and in precipitation, 
through the narrow streets of Upperville, followed 
by the hostile cavalry in eager pursuit. 

General Stuart and myself were the last of our 
column to ride through the village, escaping almost 
miraculously the Yankee balls and bullets that 
whistled after us, and both receiving slight injury 
from a falling chimney, which, at the very moment 
of our passing by it, was struck by a shell, and top- 
pled over by the explosion, the shattered stones and 
loricks flying far and wide. We had not left the 
village when the enemy entered it on the opposite 
side ; and yet many heroic young ladies, regardless of 
the great danger, ran out of the houses to wave a 
last farewell to us with their cambric handkerchiefs, 
and, what was better still, to seek out, amidst this 
fearful tempest of shells and bullets, our poor wounded, 
who, unable to follow their flying comrades, were lying 
about, in their agony, anywhere in the dusty streets. 

Too much credit cannot be given to Pelham for 
the great forethought and coolness with which he 
had taken his artillery along a little by-path around 
the village to a point about a mile distant, where, 
placing his guns in a favourable position, he skilfully 
covered our retreat, and, by the accuracy and rapi- 



DANGER OF PELHAM. 243 

dity of liis firing, saved us from greater disaster. My 
brave friend was himself hard at work in his shirt- 
sleeves, taking a hand with the cannoneers in load- 
ing and aiming the pieces. Meanwhile the united 
efforts of General Stuart and the members of his 
Staff had availed to put a stop to the stampede ; our 
regiments were re-formed, and our lines re-established. 
But the scene was still frightful. Wounded men on 
foot were limping to the rear, or riding two on one 
horse ; w^ounded animals were galloping wildly over 
the field ; ambulances and army-waggons were being 
hurried along the road, on which was concentrated a 
heavy fire of the hostile batteries, ahd over which 
canister and shell were howling in the air, or rico- 
chetting on the hard dry ground. 

Pelham's guns were now in a very dangerous 
situation, a squadron of Federal cavalry having ad- 
vanced against them at a gallop, and having dis- 
mounted and placed a number of men behind a stone 
fence not more than 200 yards distant, from which 
they poured a fatal carbine fire upon the gunners 
and artillery-horses. I tried my best to lead two 
squadrons of one of our regiments forward to a 
charge, that I might drive the Yankees from this 
position ; but after following me at a gallop to within 
eighty yards of the wall, they broke into rapid flight 
at the murderous volley of the sharpshooters. Pel- 
ham was doing his best, in the mean time, to dis- 
lodge the bold riflemen, by firing canister at the 
wall, but this had not the desired effect in conse- 
quence of the thickness of the barrier, so I shouted 
out to him, " Try solid shot ! " which he did/^t once, 
and with the best results. Every ball demolished 
large sections of the fence, scattering the fragments 
of the stones all around, killing and wounding many 
of the sharpshooters behind it, and driving ofif the 
rest, whom we pursued, cutting down and taking 
prisoners nearly all of them. 

About six o'clock in the evening we arrived at 



244 THE WHITWORTH GUN. 

the heights near Ashby's Gap, from which we could 
overlook the whole lower country towards Upper- 
ville. In the waning light of the day we could 
plainly discern that for a considerable distance it 
was covered with the dark masses of the enemy, 
with their long cavalry columns and artillery-trains, 
so that we had no reason to indulge chagrin at hav- 
ing been put to flight by numbers more than ten 
times superior to our own. The exceeding narrow^- 
ness of the approach, and the two mountain-ridges 
stretching out on either side of it, made defence an 
easy affair ; not to mention the fact that D. H. Hill, 
with his division, w^as only a few miles farther back, 
ready to come to our assistance at any moment that 
this might be necessary. 

The hostile batteries, occupying the heights near 
Upperville, kept up an incessant firing upon our 
troops ascending the mountain, but not being able at 
so great a distance to get the necessary elevation, 
their shells fell, and exploded innocently, at the 
base of the ridge, and our own batteries did not any 
longer respond. Only a 12-pounder Whit worth gun, 
which yet held its position half a mile in our rear, 
maintained the fight, and here stood its very first 
trial magnificently. Being on the higher part of 
the mountain, watching closely the enemy's move- 
ments with my trusty field-glass, I had the full op- 
portunity of witnessing the wonderful efficiency and 
accuracy of this fine gun. When the wholly inefiec- 
tive bombardment of our position had been carried 
on for some time by the Federal batteries, I heard all 
at once the sharp clear report of the Whitworth, and 
distinctly saw the ball strike, at a distance of four 
miles from the gun, right in the midst of the enemy's 
artillery, w^hich, changing its position again and 
again as the Whitworth missiles became more and 
more destructive, at last altogether retired. Firing 
ceased entirely with the coming darkness ; and as we 
saw by the Yankees going into camp that the pur- 



CESSATION OF THE CONFLICT. 245 

suit would not be continued by tbem until the fol- 
lowing day, we determined to give rest to our weary 
men and horses, and the glow of our bivouac-fires 
was soon reflected from the mountains around us. 



CHAPTEK XII. 

NIGHT - RIDE TO JACKSON'S CAMP — RETURN ACROSS THE 
MOUNTAINS — WE ARE CUT OFF BY THE ENEMY — FIGHT 
AT barber's CROSS-ROADS — RETREAT TOWARDS ORLEANS 
AND ACROSS THE RAPPAHANNOCK — FIGHTS NEAR WATERLOO 
BRIDGE AND JEFFERSON — CROSSING OF THE HAZEL RIVER — 
BIVOUAC IN THE SNOW— r-SCOUT WITH GENERAL STUART — 
HEADQUARTERS NEAR CULPEPPER COURT-HOUSE — RECON- 
NAISSANCE IN FORCE, AND FIGHT NEAR EMMETSVILLE. 

Ath November. — The deep sleep which succeeded to 
the fatigues of the previous day had hardly fallen 
upon me, when I was aroused by the touch of 
Stuart's hand upon my shoulder. The General's 
wish was that I should bear him company, with 
several of our couriers and Dr Eliason, who was 
well acquainted with all the roads in the neigh- 
bouring county, to the headquarters of General 
Jackson, who had encamped about twelve miles 
off, on the opposite side of the Shenandoah, near the 
village of Millwood. The command of our cavalry 
had been temporarily transferred to Colonel Eosser, 
who had instructions to hold his position as long as 
possible, and to keep General Stuart informed by 
frequent messengers of the progress of the impend- 
ing fight. 

A cold wind was blowing in our faces as we 
trotted through the village of Paris in the direction 
of the Shenandoah, and it was freezing hard when 
we reached the stream, about midnight, at a point 



246 NIGIIT-RIDE TO GENERAL JACKSOX. 

wliere ordinarily it was easily fordable, but where 
we found it so much swollen by the recent rains 
in the mountains that we were compelled to cross 
it swimming. We reached the opposite bank in 
safety, but chilled through and mth soaking gar- 
ments. Such was the intensity of the frost, that in 
a very few minutes our cloaks and blankets were 
frozen quite stifi" ; and the water, as it dripped from 
the flanks of our horses, congealed into icicles, and 
the legs of the animals were rough with ice. But 
a sharp ride, as it promoted the circulation of the 
blood, kept us tolerably warm, and at two o'clock 
in the morning we arrived at Jackson's encampment. 
Stuart, being unwilling in his great tenderness for 
Old Stonewall to disturb his slumbers, proposed 
that we should seek rest for the remaining hours of 
the night ; but in our frozen condition, it being first 
necessary that we should thaw out our garments 
before we could dry them, we preferred building a 
huge fire of logs, around whose cheerful blaze we 
sat and smoked our pipes, though, with teeth chat- 
tering like castanets, this was smoking under diffi- 
culties. Jackson, who, in accordance with his usual 
habit, awoke with the earliest glimmer of day, no 
sooner discovered us than he expressed his regret 
at our evident discomfort, but gave us the readiest 
consolation by ordering breakfast to be immediately 
prepared. Nothing was better calculated to restore 
our good spirits than the summons to the General's 
large breakfast-table, where the aroma rose in clouds 
of vapour from an immense coffee-pot, and where 
stood a magnificent haunch of venison, cold, a pre- 
sent from a neighbouring planter. 

The good cheer had the happiest effect on Stuart, 
who enlivened our repast with abundant anecdote 
and the recital of many a joke at the expense of his 
companions-in-arms. It was his special delight to 
tease me on account of the little mistakes I still fre- 
quently committed in speaking the English language. 



KINDNESS OF JACKSON. 247 

which he always cleverly turned so as to excite the 
merriment of his auditors. During one of our many 
conversations concerning Old Stonewall, his personal 
traits and military character, while intending to 
say, "It warms my heart when he talks to me," I 
had employed the expression, " It makes my heart 
burn," &c. Stuart now took occasion to repeat my 
remark, and represented me most absurdly as having 
declared that " it gave me the • heartburn to hear 
Jackson talk," which of course provoked the roar- 
ing laughter of our little company. Jackson himself 
alone did not participate in the boisterous mirth. 
Looking me straight in the face with his large ex- 
pressive eyes, and pressing my hand warmly across 
the table as just the faintest smile broke over his 
features, he said, " Never care. Major, for Stuart's 
jokes ; we understand each other, and I am proud 
of the friendship of so good a soldier and so daring 
a cavalier as you are." I was conscious of a blush 
reddening my cheeks under "my beard at this, but 
I felt also a glow of pride, and I would not at that 
moment have exchanged the simple, earnest tribute 
of the great warrior for all the orders and crosses 
of honour of Europe. " Hurrah for Old Von ! and 
now let us be off," said Stuart, and slapping me on 
the back to conceal his own slight embarrassment, 
he rose from the table, followed by his companions. 
In a few minutes we rode off at a gallop to fresh 
scenes of excitement and activity. 

In Virginia the vicissitudes of temperature are 
great and sudden, the weather frequently changing 
from biting frost to genial warmth in a few hours ; 
and we experienced this pleasant alternation as we 
rode forth into the brilliant sunshine of the clear 
November morning. To avoid the disagreeable 
passage of the river by swimming our horses. Gene- 
ral Stuart had determined to cross higher up, where 
the Shenandoah might be forded without difficulty, 
and so we continued our ride through the rich 



248 VIEW FROM THE SUMMIT OF THE MOUNTAINS. 

country on the left bank, passing tlie pleasant little 
hamlet of White Post on our route, until mid-day, 
when we made an easy ford, and soon after partook 
of a hasty dinner at a hospitable mansion most 
picturesquely situated on the very margin of the 
beautiful stream. Here I could not resist purchas- 
ing for our mess-table two of a flock of fat turkeys, 
which, tied together by the legs, I carried for a 
while thrown across the pommel of my saddle. The 
fowls gave me so much annoyance, however, by the 
flapping of their wings, that I was glad to give them 
in charge to one of our couriers, who quieted their 
motions very speedily by the simple expedient of 
cutting off their heads with his pocket-knife. 

The son of the gentleman who entertained us at 
dinner, being thoroughly familiar with the bridlepaths 
across the mountains, offered himself as our guide to 
save us the long detour of the common highway, 
and his services were thankfully accepted. So we 
pursued our course along the rough mountain -side, 
but seldom touched by human foot, and, as we rode, 
enjoyed frequent opportunities of admiring the wild 
and wonderful scenery of the majestic Blue Eidge. 
Climbing up steep banks and skirting dizzy preci- 
pices, we were often obliged to cut our way with our 
sabres through the dense entanglement of bushes and 
vines, many of the latter heavy with clusters of small 
dark-blue grapes. A rolling cannonade, borne to us 
from the direction of Ashby's Gap, hurried us on our 
toilsome and difficult way, and about five o'clock in 
the afternoon we reached the summit of the moun- 
tain. The view we obtained from this point was 
surely the most magnificent I have ever witnessed. 
For many, many miles beneath us lay the sumptuous 
valley, in the full gorgeousness of its rich and varied 
autumnal hues, spread out like an immense gaily- 
coloured Persian carpet, and through the middle 
space, like a stripe of green, ran the emerald-tinted 
Shenandoah, winding- away to the remote distance 



WE AKE CUT OFF BY THE ENEMY. 249 

where the plain was fringed by a range of wooded 
mountains, whose soft, waving line of horizon was 
reddened and gilded by the sunset. Our admiration 
of this glorious prospect gave place to something like 
bewildered astonishment when, immediately below ns, 
only a few thousand feet from the spot we occupied, 
we discovered the dark masses of the enemy with 
glittering arms and fluttering pennons, and beyond 
them the rapidly-disappearing lines of our horsemen, 
the smoke rising at many points from the muzzles of 
our guns as the artillery covered the retreat of their 
comrades. Stuart gave me a significant look, and 
said very quietly, " The Yankees have taken Ashby's 
Gap — Eosser is retreating, and we are completely cut 
off." Our situation was indeed full of danger. The 
enemy were so near us that we might expect to come 
upon one of their scouting -parties at any moment; 
our volunteer guide had no knowledge of the moun- 
tain-roads on our right ; to procure other guides was 
a matter of great difficulty, as only a few herdsmen 
lived so high up on the mountain, and these would 
have been restrained by no sense of patriotic duty 
from betraying us into the hands of the Yankees; 
and to ride back to Jackson and join our horsemen 
again involved a circuitous and fatiguing journey of 
sixty or eighty miles, could we even make this without 
interruption. Yet it was of the utmost importance 
that Stuart should be with his command again before 
morning. 

Meanwhile, as night was rapidly approaching, we 
recognised the necessity of coming to some conclu- 
sion, and it was finally determined that we should 
disperse over the ridge in various directions, in the 
hope that some one of our party might fall in with a 
mountaineer whom we should force to guide us, and 
that a whistle twice repeated should be the signal 
for reuniting at a point where Stuart himself should 
remain that he might watch closely tlie movements 
of the enemy. After much unsuccessful riding about 



250 A GUIDE FOUXD AND SECURED. 

over the rocks and through the forest, I was fortunate 
enough to pick up a fellow of exceedingly wild and 
haggard appearance, with garments " all tattered and 
torn," who, upon my approach, endeavoured to slip 
away from me in the bushes, but who came to a better 
mind when he saw my revolver levelled at his head. 
At the appointed signal we soon came together again 
when General Stuart explained to my trembling cap- 
tive that if he would guide us over the mountains 
on our right to a point from which we could reach 
Barbet's Cross Eoads, the supposed new position of 
Fitz Lee's brigade, without bringing us in contact 
w^ith the Yankees, he should receive an ample reward ; 
but that should he intentionally mislead and betray 
us, he should be shot down without hesitation. Under 
the joint influence of fear and avarice, the poor devil 
became voluble wdth promises of fidelity, and we 
started at once on our hazardous march, one of us 
riding just before and another just behind the guide 
wdth cocked pistols, to prevent his escaping into the 
dense undergrowth on either side of the narrow^ path. 
In many places the road w^as barred by immense 
boulders or became too steep to ascend on horseback, 
so that we were compelled to dismount and lead our 
horses. The briars and brambles scratched our hands 
and faces, and made sad work with our uniforms. 

The night had now deepened into great darkness, 
and we expected momentarily to lose our way or 
tumble over one of the frightful precipices along the 
verge of which we had to pass. But, surmounting 
all difficulties and escaping all dangers, we at last 
reached the foot of the Blue Eidge, near the small 
village of Macon, at a short distance from which place 
we saw a large camp-fire, and in the glare of the 
flames discovered a group of soldiers around it. We 
halted, of course, at once, and with a proper precau- 
tion sent forward on foot one of our couriers to as- 
certain whether the men before us were friends or 
foes. After a few minutes of extreme anxiety on 



MORE NIGHT-EIDING. 251 

our part, the courier came back with the pleasing 
intelligence that all was right, as the picket in sight 
consisted of soldiers belonging to the division of 
General D. H. Hill, who had retired in the direction 
of Front Eoyal, but was still holding Manassas Gap. 
Dr Eliason being now fully acquainted with the 
neiglibourhood, we dismissed our mountaineer, who 
evinced great delight when General Stuart handed 
him a fifty-dollar note for his services. 
• The perils of our journey, however, were by no 
means yet over, as we had still a long distance to 
ride outside our own, and very near the enemy's, 
lines, whose numerous camp-fires were often plainly 
to be seen on the mountain-side ; but after our ad- 
vance-guard of two couriers had several times brought 
us to a halt through false alarms, and, blinded by 
the intense darkness of the night, had fired again 
and again at imaginary Yankees, we arrived without 
further adventure, about midnight, at Barbel's Cross 
Eoads. Here we learned, to the surprise and indigna- 
tion of General Stuart, that only one of our squad- 
rons was on picket at the- place, and that Colonel 
Eosser, with the rest of his brigade, had fallen back 
seven miles farther, to the immediate vicinity of the 
small town of Orleans. AVearied out by the fatigues 
of the day, I was just looking out for a suitable spot 
for my night's rest, when Stuart, who was in no good 
humour, called to me, saying, "Major, I desire that 
you will ride at once to Colonel Eosser, and order 
him to report to me instantly in person, leaving in- 
structions for Lee's brigade to follow without delay, 
that we may be ready to receive the enemy at this 
place at daylight. I am determined not to retire 
without fighting, and shall give battle to the Yankees 
here to-morrow." Thinking of the fifteen long miles 
that my faithful but exhausted charger must yet 
perform, I started rather unwillingly and slowly ; 
but I had not gone two hundred yards when a 
courier rode up to me with the message from Stuart 



252 AT EEST AT LAST. 

to go on as rapidly as possible, regardless of the life 
of my horse. So I drove the spurs into his flanks, 
and went off at a gallop through the dark pine- 
forests that skirted the road on either side, until I 
reached Orleans, and with some difficulty found the 
headquarters of Colonel Eosser. This officer was 
exceedingly annoyed at being aroused from his com- 
fortable repose, having gone into bivouac under the 
impression that he had operated with great wdsdom 
and circumspection. The urgency of my instructions, 
however, soon brought him into the saddle. His adju- 
tants quickly conveyed the necessary orders to the regi- 
ments of his brigade, and the Colonel and I trotted off 
together ahead of the column to Barber's Cross Eoads. 

Eosser had been compelled, after a gallant resist- 
ance, to give way before the superior numbers of his 
assailants, having sent during the day reports to 
General Stuart by several couriers, all of whom had 
either missed their way or fallen into the hands of 
the enemy. Upon our arrival at the Cross Eoads, 
we found Stuart, and our comrades of his Staff", 
wrapped in the profoundest slumber upon the por- 
tico of a small farmhouse. When I had succeeded 
in awakening my chief, and had taken due care of 
my horse, I drew my blankets closely around me, 
and, wearied with a ride of more than fifty miles, 
stretched my limbs on the hard ground, in the hope 
of gaining some refreshment for the inevitable rough 
work of the coming day. 

^th November. — The bugle sounding to saddle 
cruelly cut short my slumbers with the dawn, and a 
few minutes afterwards we galloped up to Fitz Lee's 
brigade, which, according to orders, occupied its 
position on the cross road. We now found, to our 
inexpressible delight, that Hampton's brigade, which, 
having been detached to our infantry, had been sep- 
arated from us during the past week, had also arrived 
on the spot ; and the hearty welcome we gave them 
attested the new hope and confidence as to the issue 



COMMENCEMENT OF THE ACTION. 253 

of the impending conflict which their presence in- 
spired. 

General Hampton had been ordered to form the 
right wing of our line of battle, and I accompanied 
him upon a little reconnaissance to a slight eminence, 
from which we could narrowly watch the approach 
of the vast numbers of the enemy. With his battery 
he had two 15-pounder brass guns, imported by him 
from Europe at his own expense, that were remark- 
able for their long range and accuracy of aim, but 
were too heavy for flying artillery. These pieces, 
being at once placed in position at our point of sur- 
vey, speedily commenced the fight, and their fire 
being energetically returned by the Yankees, there 
ensued a tremendous cannonade. Ere long Stuart 
joined us, with all the other members of his Staff, 
and our group of horsemen attracting the attention 
of the enemy's artillerists, we were honoured forth- 
with with several cannon-balls, which came whistling 
high over our heads, and gave us small concern. 
Suddenly, however, a percussion shell whizzed very 
close to us, and, striking a small locust-tree at a dis- 
tance of about twenty yards, sent its iron hail right 
into the midst of our party. We looked at each 
other with startled apprehension, scarcely deeming 
it possible but that some one of our number had been 
struck. In the most wonderful way all had escaped. 
My horse was the only sufferer, as one of the frag- 
ments of the shell had cut a deep gash in his right 
hind -leg. Finding that fortunately no bone or 
sinew had been injured, I stanched the wound by 
tying my pocket-handkerchief around the limb, and 
I was thus able to ride my brave animal, despite his 
lameness, throughout the day. 

The fight soon became very spirited, and our sharp- 
shooters repulsed with great success and fatal eff'ect 
the repeated charges of the Federal cavalry. One 
squadron of the Yankees especially was severely 
punished for their audacity in charging up the turn- 



254 SINGULAR DEATH. 

pike road upon a strong barricade which we had 
hastily erected. In front they were received with a 
most destructive fire, "while a detachment of our 
horse attacked them at the same moment in the rear, 
sabring or taking prisoners the larger number of 
these dashing dragoons. The enemy continuing to 
be largely reinforced from time to time, General 
Stuart gave about mid-day the order for the retreat 
towards Orleans, which was commenced under the 
heaviest fire of the enemy's batteries. Here occurred 
a very curious incident. One of the horsemen of our ^ 
retiring column was so instantaneously killed by a 
bullet through the brain, that his rapidly-stiffening 
limbs held him for a considerable time in the saddle, 
and he was sitting bolt upright upon his horse dead 
— stone dead — several minutes before his comrades 
on the risfht and left discovered that he had been 

o 

struck. Frequently upon our retreat our pursuers 
pressed us so closely that we were compelled to turn 
round and engage them hand to hand ; but they 
came at last to a lialt, so that upon reaching Orleans 
we had an hour to rest the men and feed the horses. 
General Stuart and Staff were invited to dinner at a 
stately old country-house, half a mile from the vil- 
lage, where dwelt a venerable lady, Mrs M., whose ),^f^^ 
native dignity of manner and kindliness of disposi- ^ 
tion greatly won our respect and gratitude. The 
following day this house was occupied by the Yan- 
kees, and a detachment of the New York Zouaves 
acted towards its iuDiates with the greatest barbarity. 
After the greater portion of the furniture had been 
broken to pieces and completely destroyed by them 
in mere wanton malice, one of these brutes demanded 
of the old lady where she had hid her silver, and 
upon her answering him quietly that it had been 
long ago sent to a place of safety, struck her a blow 
with the butt 6f his musket, under which she fell 
senseless into the arms of her daughters. V- v OX 
Throughout the afternoon we continued our retreat 



DEATH OF GENERAL STUART S DAUGHTER. 255 

towards Waterloo Bridge, which we crossed at night, 
and in the vicinity of which our troops bivouacked. 
The General and Staff proceeded a mile farther on, 
and established their headquarters at the house of a 
Mr M., where we had at last an opportunity of cook- 
ing and devouring the turkeys of which mention has 
been made. Mr M.'s house was a few days later 
burned by the Yankees for the hospitality he had 
shown us. 

During the night there came a telegram for Gene- 
ral Stuart, which, in accordance with his instructions, 
habitually observed by me, I opened with his other 
despatches, and found to contain the most painful 
intelligence. It announced the death of little Flora, 
our chief's lovely and dearly-loved daughter, five 
years of age, the favourite of her father and of 
his military family. This sweet child had been dan- 
gerously ill for some time, and more than once had 
Sirs Stuart summoned her husband to Flora's bed- 
side ; but she received only the response of the true 
soldier, " My duty to the country must be performed 
before I can give way to the feelings of the father." 
I went at once to acquaint my General with the ter- 
rible tidings, and when I had awakened him, per- 
ceiving from the grave expression of my features 
that something had gone wrong, he said, '* What is 
it. Major ? Are the Yankees advancing ? " I handed 
him the telegram without a word. He read it, and 
the tenderness of the father's heart overcoming the 
firmness of the warrior, he threw his arms around my 
neck, and wept bitter tears upon my breast. My 
dear General never recovered from this cruel blow. 
Many a time afterwards, during our rides together, 
he would speak to me of his lost child. Light-blue 
flowers recalled her eyes to him ; in the glancifig 
sunbeams he caught the golden tinge of her hair ; 
and whenever he saw a child with such eyes and 
hair, he could not help tenderly embracing it. He 
thought of her even on his deathbed, when, drawing 



256 CAPTURE OF CIGARS AXD BOWIE-KNIVES. 

me towards him, lie whispered, " My dear friend, I 
shall soon be with little Tlora again." 

Qth and 7th November. — The morning of the follow- 
ing day, to our great surprise, passed quietly, and we 
were enabled to take up our old line of defence at 
Waterloo Bridge, sending out scouts and patrols in 
the direction of the enemy. One of the latter was 
fortunate enough to capture and bring off a Yankee 
waggon, which gave us a good supply of Havana 
cigars, and contained, amon^ other articles, a large 
number of fine bowie-knives^^ For a long time after- 
wards, each of us carried one of these knives in hi§ 
belt, finding it extremely serviceable, not as an otfen- 
sive weapon against the Yankees, but for the cutting 
of the very tough beef whicli, during the next month, 
formed the greater part of our rations. The bowie- 
knife occupied a* somewhat conspicuous place in the 
earlier annals of the war, and we were often told of 
Louisianians, Mississippiatis, and Texans who threw 
away their muskets in the hottest of the fight, and 
fell upon the enemy with their favourite weapon ; 
but I have always regarded these stories in the same 
fabulous light with the stories of the bayonet con- 
flicts to which I have before referred, and certainly 
I have never seen the bowie-knife -put to any other 
than a purely pacific and innocent use. 

About mid-day we went across the river with one 
of our squadrons on a reconnaissance, and very soon 
afterwards met the advancing column of the enemy, 
which attacked us vigorously, and, to the great morti- 
fication of General Stuart and myself, drove our men 
in disgraceful stampede, despite all our efforts to 
prevent it, back over the bridge. Here our pursuers 
were checked by the fire of our artillery and sharp- 
shooters, and the fight ere long raged with full fury 
all along the lines, being kept up, especially in the 
vicinity of the bridge, with great spirit until late in 
the evening. At dusk, General Stuart decided to 
continue the retreat. The bridge, having been pre- 



A COMFORTLESS BIVOUAC. 257 

pared with combustibles for this event, was set on 
fire, and its blazing timbers fell with a loud crash 
into the waters of the Eappahannock as our column 
turned off in the direction of Jefferson. This ham-^ 
let, wdiich lay eight miles distant towards Culpepper 
Court-house, we reached soon after dark. Here, as 
the enemy did not follow up the pursuit, our troops 
bivouacked after the necessary pickets had been 
established. 

The night was extremely cold, and about ten 
o'clock a snow-storm set in with such severity that 
the General and his Staff took refuge in a deserted 
old wooden house, where, having with great trouble 
collected the fuel, we built immense wood-fires in 
the tumble-down chimneys. But we obtained little 
sleep. The storm raged all night ; and as it howled 
around the dilapidated building, it made every rafter 
shake so threateningly that w^e looked for the edifice 
to fall in ruins about our heads at any moment, 
while the wind swept in wrath through the windows, 
wholly destitute of glass, bringing the snow in swirls 
into the cheerless apartments, which were so densely 
filled at times with smoke driven down the chimneys 
that we had to beat a rapid retreat into the tempest 
to escape suffocation. At daybreak the temperature 
became a little less severe, but a fine rain was now 
mingled with the snow, which soon wet us to the 
skin, and rendered the roads slippery and horrible in 
the extreme. It may be imagined that our horsemen 
did not make a very proud appearance when our 
columns drew up to meet the advance of the enemy. 
Men and horses were muddy, draggled, and shiver- 
ing, and both had been twenty-four hours without 
food. 

The Yankees did not long keep us waiting for 
their attack, and at ten o'clock the fight was fully 
in progress, making us quite warm enough. Our 
resistance, however, was but a short one. General 
Stuart feared the rising of the Hazel river in his rear, 

£ 



258 PASSAGE OF THE HAZEL RIVER. 

and our artillery horses were scarcely able any longer 
to pull the guns through the miry roads. So greatly 
were we embarrassed on this account, that we had 
been obliged already to bury two of our pieces which 
we could not carry with us. About noon we again 
commenced the retreat, turning round and giving 
battle to the enemy whenever we were hard pressed 
by them. Late in the evening we reached the river, 
which we forded safely, but with some difficulty, and 
took a new position on the heights of the opposite 
shore, near the small village of Eixeville. v 

It was a soiry sight this crossing of; the Hazel 
river. Our command, and especially Fitz Lee's bri- 
gade, had suffered severely from the continuous 
marching and fighting we had undergone, from the 
inclement wintry weather, and from scarcity of food. 
Many of our horses had been killed, and many more, 
broken down or lame, could only be led along. All 
the sick and disabled men, making up a body of 
nearly 500 non-combatants, were formed together 
into a corps which was jokingly called " Company 
Q," and had been put in charge of Fitz Lee's gallant 
quartermaster, Major Mason. I felt no little anxiety 
until I saw the last of this large squad of limping 
men, leading crippled horses, safely on the other side 
of the river. I had often to urge the stragglers along 
by saying, " The Yankees are close upon you," when 
they lingered to pluck the fruit of the numerous per- 
simmon trees on either side of the road — fruit v/hich 
the recent frosts had brought plentifully to perfection, 
and which furnished a welcome though meagre re- 
past to our famished trooj^ers.* 

* The persimmon tree grows very abundantly in Virginia, and 
its fruit resembles somewhat the European medlar or the Asiatic 
date. In the green state the persimmon is exceedingly aciid and 
astringent, but it becomes mellowed by successive frosts, and in 
winter its taste is sweet and palatable. Very good beer is made 
from it, and the kernels were frequently employed by us in the 
preparation of a wretched substitute for coffee. The North Caro- 
lina troops were often "chaffed" by their comrades from other 



A FOREST BIVOUAC. 259- 

The Yankees not making their appearance on the 
opposite bank of the Eappahannock, we left behind 
several squadrons and two pieces of artillery to guard 
the two nearest fords, and went at nightfall with the 
main body of our troops a few miles farther back, 
establishing our bivouac in a dense forest of oak and 
pine. The night set in cold again, and the rain 
changed to a heavy fall of snow, giving us every 
prospect of a most uncomfortable time of it. But 
the accustomed wood-fire, with its immense pile of 
blazing logs, around which the General and Staff 
and escort collected, kept us sufficiently warm. The 
bivouac itself was exceedingly picturesque. Many 
of the officers were enveloped in red blankets, worn 
in the Mexican fashion, falling from the shoulders, 
with a hole cut in the middle for the head of the 
wearer to come through. Others wore long over- 
coats, and wide-brimmed hats pulled over their faces. 
Among these groups were the negroes preparing sup- 
per ; around us was the dark engirdling forest, tlie 
branches of the nearest trees white with the snow ; 
and over all was thrown the rich red glow of the fii'e, 
producing the highest effects of light and shade. 
The never-failing prevision of my negro servant Wil- 
liam supplied our evening repast v^Aith some excellent 
Irish potatoes, which he had contrived to pick up 
somewhere on the road, and which he roasted in 
such a manner as to produce a very pleasing result. 

One of our couriers, whom we had sent off to the 
post-office at Culpepper Court-house, came in after 
supper, bringing me the first letters I had received 
from home since my departure for America. Stretched 
out upon the damp ground, I became so much ab- 
sorbed in reading them by the fitful glare of the fire, 
that my blanket caught from the embers without my 

States for being so fond of persimmons — a taste they had in com- 
mon with the negroes and that remarkable animal the Virginia 
opossum, which is always fattest when the persimmon season is 
at its height. 



260 PKEPARATIONS FOR ENCAMPING. 

perceiving it, and was in rapid combustion when 
Stuart called out to me, *" Von, what are you doing 
there ? Are you going to burn yourself like an Indian 
widow ? " 

Sth, 9tJi, and 10th November. — Early the following 
morning we left our beds of mud and snow, and 
moved to the Hazel river, where we awaited the 
further approach of the enemy in line of battle, on 
the high hills which line the Culpepper shore near 
Eixeville. But everything remaining perfectly quiet, 
Stuart and myself crossed the river to look after the 
enemy, whom we found to be encamped near Jeffer- 
son, manifesting no intention of a further advance. 
Having satisfied ourselves upon this, we at once 
returned to om- command, the greater part of which 
was ordered back to the camp of the past night, 
only a few squadrons and some pieces of artillery 
being left behind to resist a sudden attack on the 
fords. Our pickets were thrown forward at the 
same time two miles on the opposite side of the 
river. 

Our headquarters waggons having arrived mean- 
while, and it appearing most likely that our stay in 
this part of the country would be of considerable 
duration, we pitched our tents on the edge of an oak 
wood, and our encampment was soon laid out in 
regular order. General Lee with the greater part of 
his army, had now arrived, and had gone into camp 
in the vicinity of Culpepper Court-house, General 
Longstreet, with his whole corps, having reached 
there several days before, followed by Jackson, who 
had left behind only one of his di^dsions under D. 
H. Hill, near Front Eoyal. 

General Stuart went off next day on a littlfe re- 
connaissance to Brandy Station and Ptappahannock 
Bridge, but for once I did not accompany him, being 
detained in camp by domestic duties, arranging the 
interior of my tent, and building the customary fire- 
place and mud chimney. For the transportation of 



A RECONNAISSANCE IN FORCE. 261 

materials we employed our well-known yellow van 
captured from the Yankees, to wliich Pelham and I 
each harnessed one of our horses. The first time we 
attached the team, I had occasion to witness with 
indignation and punish with severity the brutal 
conduct of Pelham's negro Willis, who, at the 
moment my horse was maldng the greatest efforts to 
pull our heavily-laden waggon out of a mud-hole, 
struck him in a paroxysm of anger over the head with 
a hatchet, felling the poor animal to the ground, 
where it lay for several minutes apparently lifeless. 
I was fortunately near enough to reward the scoun- 
drel's barbarity at once with his own horsewhip. 

General Stuart returned in the evening, in time 
for our slender dinner of coffee and baked potatoes, 
telling us that on his way back he had called at the 
headquarters of General Lee, and received orders 
for going off the next day on a reconnaissance in 
force. He was to take with him Fitz Lee's brigade, 
one battery, and two regiments of infantry, the 
latter having been detached to him for this special 
purpose. We were roused at daybreak next morning 
by the roll of the drums of our reinforcements, and 
at eight o'clock we crossed Hazel river, sending one 
regiment of cavalry to the right towards Jefferson, 
and proceeding with the main column to the left to- 
wards the village of Emmetsville. About ten o'clock 
our advanced-guard came up with the enemy, with 
whom we were soon hotly engaged, the Yankees 
falling back slowly before us. I could not help 
admiring on this occasion the excellent behaviour of 
a squadron of the 5th New York Cavalry, who re- 
ceived with the greatest coolness the heavy fire of 
our battery, maintaining perfect order while shell 
after shell exploded in their ranks, and saddle after 
saddle was emptied — quietly filling the gaps in their 
lines, and finally only giving way when we charged 
them with several squadrons. 

During the earlier part of the fight the Federals 



262 FALLIXG BACK BEFOKE THE ENEMY. 

had been wholly without artillery, but several bat- 
teries now came to their a'ssistance, opening a vigor- 
ous and well-directed fire upon our guns, which lost 
heavily in men and horses. I had halted near two 
of our pieces, and was talking with Lieutenant 
M'Gregor, the officer in command of them, when a 
shell, bursting within thirty feet of us, sent its 
deadly missiles in every direction, several fragments 
of the iron passing directly between us, and one '.of 
them shattering the leg of the brave young fellow so 
that it dangled loosely from his side. He insisted, 
however, on remaining with his guns, and it re- 
quired the joint persuasions of General Stuart and 
myself to induce him to withdraw from the field and 
place himself in the hands of the surgeon. 

Our infantry now joining in the fight, we drove 
the Yankees back to the neighbourhood of Enimets- 
viUe, when I was ordered by my chief to reconnoitre 
the position there before lie could attempt pushing 
his success further. Climbinsj a hisrh hill about a 
mile on our right, I soon obtained a magnificent 
view of the surrounding country, extending for many 
miles towards the town of Warrenton, where numer- 
ous encampments indicated the presence of the en- 
tire Federal army. In the immediate front, towards 
Emmetsville, I could see the force opposing us about 
being reinforced by three brigades of infantry and 
several batteries of artillery, which were advancing 
at a double-quick along the turnpike road. In full 
haste I galloped back to inform General Stuart of 
the danger of his position, but before reaching him 
I saw our troops falling back, my chief having him- 
self quickly perceived the additional strength of his 
opponents. 

The enemy's tirailleurs were now moving rapidly 
forward in admirable order, and by their spirited 
and accurate fire greatly harassed the retreat of our 
troops, which Avas covered by two pieces of our 
artillery and our cavalry sharpshooters. Stuart, see- 



(nAJUTi '^ 



A CLOSE " SHAVE " FOR STUART. 263 

ing his cavalrymen rapidly driven back, and greatly 
j)rovoked at the successful advance of the foe, called 
to him twenty-five or thirty of our infantry riflemen, 
and posted them at the corner of a wood, with orders 
not to fire until the enemy had arrived within two 
hundred yards of them, that they might punish 
efiectively the impudence of the Yankees, as he 
called it. Stuart here, as usual, greatly exposed his 
own person on horseback, by riding out of the wood 
into the open field, and I felt it my duty to say to 
liim that in my opinion he was not in his proper 
place, as in a few minutes the whole fire of the 
enemy would be concentrated upon him ; but as J. 
E. B. was in a very bad humour, he answered me 
curtly, that if this place seemed likely to become too 
hot for myself, I was at liberty to leave it ; where- 
upon I made response, that, my duty attaching me 
to his side, no place could be too hot for me where 
he chose to go. Nevertheless I changed my posi- 
tion, cautiously bringing a large tree, in front of which 
I had been standing, between myself and the enemy. 
In an instant the firing commenced, and three bul- 
lets struck the tree at just the height to show that, had 
I remained where I was, they would certainly have 
gone through my body. Looking at Stuart, I saw 
him pass his hand quickly across his face, and even 
at this serious moment I could not help laughing 
heartily when I discovered that one of the number- 
less bullets that had been whistling round him had 
cut off half of his beloved mustache as neatly as it 
could have been done by the hand of an experienced 
barber. 

The Yankees having kept up the pursuit for only 
a short distance, we continued our retreat quietly 
towards Hazel river. Altogether our reconnais- 
sance had been highly successful. We had found 
out all we desired to know without much loss, 
while we had inflicted serious damage upon the 
enemy, and brought back with us thirty prisoners. 



264 EEPOET TO GENERAL LEE. 

Being ordered by General Stnart to report immedi- 
ately to General Lee xVhat had been done, I gal- 
loped rapidly ahead, about dusk, passing en route 
our headquarter, where those who had been left 
behind came running towards me to get news of 
the fighting, which I gave them in a condensed 
form, " All right ! " and hurried onward without 
stopping. With some trouble I found General 
Lee's encampment on the opposite side of the town, 
where his modest tents had been pitched in a 
dense pine thicket. Supper was announced just 
as I arrived, and, having accepted the General's 
kindly invitation to join him at the table, I there 
recited to an eager audience our recent adventures. 
The Commander-in-Chief and the members of his 
Staff were all greatly amused at the loss of half of 
Stuart's mustache, a personal ornament upon which 
they knew our cavalry leader much prided himself. 
It was late at night when I got back again to our 
headquarters, where Stuart and my comrades of 
his Staff had arrived long before me. 



CHAPTEE XIIL 



CAMP-LIFE AT HEADQUARTERS NEAR CULPEPPER COURT-HOUSE 

— TEN DAYS IN RICHMOND — RETURN TO HEADQUARTERS 

— A DISAGREEABLE JOURNEY — BURNSIDE'S CHANGE OF 
BASE — HEADQUARTERS NEAR FREDERICKSBURG DESCRIP- 
TION OF THE TOWN — DANGER OF OUR ENGLISH VISITOR 
— OPOSSUM-HUNTING. 

All was quiet next day at headquarters, and we 
had the pleasure of seeing there Mrs Stuart, who 
had arrived at CulpejDper Court-house the previous 
evening. She had come to spend some days with 
her husband, to share with him her sacred grief in 



VISIT FROM MES STUAET. 265 

the calamity that had befallen them both. It was 
a melancholy pleasure to see how w^ell that admir- 
able lady bore np under the weight of her afflic- 
tion, in tender regard for her husband. Her man- 
ner was composed, but her eyes betrayed their fre- 
quent overflow of tears ; and the warm pressure of 
the hand she silently gave me upon our meeting, 
indicated that words could not describe the agony 
she had endured. Mrs Stuart had brought with 
her to camp her son Jemmy, a stout little "three- 
year-old," who, in liis vivacity, in his passion for 
horses, and in his whole appearance, strongly re- 
sembled his father. Whenever his mother or his 
negro " mammy" left him unguarded for a moment, 
Jemmy was immediately among the horses ; and 
the greatest gratification I could give him was to 
take him for a rapid gallop before me in the saddle. 
During the morning General Lee came over to our 
camp on a short visit, and I was touched by the 
gentle, sympathising way in which he talked with 
Mrs Stuart. Our friend Lawley having announced 
by telegram his coming in this day's train from 
Eichmond, I drove over to the station at Culpepper 
Court-house to meet so welcome a guest, who had 
promised to give us the pleasure of his company 
for several days. To do him proper honour, I sub- 
stituted on this occasion for the rough-going, yellows- 
painted waggon in which Pelham and I were accus- 
tomed to make most of our journeys, a top-buggy 
which Stuart had brought from Pennsylvania. 

On the 12th the General started on a recon- 
naissance "to stir up the Yankees a little," as 
he expressed himself, in which he was accom- 
panied by Lawley, who desired to get an idea of 
our mode of cavalry fighting. My orders were 
to remain at headquarters in the performance 
of some important duties there. I dishked this 
exceedingly, but I was soon compensated by the 
unexpected arrival of Vizetelly and Brien, who, 



266 EXPLOIT OF CAPTAIN FARLEY S. 

after a very amusing ride tlirough tlie valley and 
across the Blue Eidge, Imd at last found us again, 
and came into the encampment with the outburst 
of "Dixie," sung to new words, the composition 
of the versatile Vizetelly himself. Most heartily 
were "these guests welcomed by the whole camp. 
The negroes especially were greatly pleased to greet 
" Major Telly " (a name and title they had adopted 
for the artist) once more at headquarters. During 
the evening General Stuart returned from his " stir- 
ring-up" ex]3edition, which had been so successful 
that he brought back with him about thirty pris- 
oners, among whom were several officers. 

Dinner was soon after served, and though poor 
in viands it was rich in good fellowship, in mirth 
and anecdote and song. On this excursion, of 
which we had animated accounts from Stuart and 
Lawley, Captain Farley had executed another of 
those daring feats for which he was so famous, 
and the recital of it called forth the highest com- 
pliments of our whole dinner-party. Eiding for- 
ward alone, as was his custom, through the woods 
in the direction of the enemy, he discovered a 
regiment of Federal infantry marching along the 
road, and observed the colonel and adjutant mak- 
ing a little detour to a neighbouring plantation- 
house, doubtless in the hope of obtaining eatables 
for themselves or forage for their horses. As soon 
as they had dismounted and entered the dwelling, 
Farley rode up, and, confronting the astonished 
officers with his revolver, said, " Gentlemen, you 
are my prisoners ; make the least outcry to your 
men for assistance and I will blow your brains 
out." The brave colonel and adjutant, finding it 
was the best they could do, surrendered at discre- 
tion; and Farley brought them quietly into our 
lines, with their excellent and well-equipped horses, 
away from their regiment, which was marching 
along at a distance of only a few hundred yards. 



I 



A SUPPER AT CAPTAIN DEARING'S. 267 

The astonisliment of the regiment at this sudden 
and inexplicable disappearance of its commander 
may be imagined. 

Fitzhiigh and I having been invited to supper 
with Captain Dearing, a friend of ours command- 
ing a battery of Pickett's division in Longstreet's 
corps, who was encamped about two miles off, 
started on foot, late in the evening, for this enter- 
tainment, and after losing ourselves in the dark- 
ness, and getting our boots full of water in a swamp, 
at last reached the camp of the gay artilleryman, 
where we found large company and little supper. 
The " spread," indeed, consisted only of a small 
piece of pork and a canteen of bad apple-brandy; 
but wit and good -humour make amends for the 
lack of dishes, and our songs re-echoed through the 
adjoining forests. Dearing soon proposed that we 
should send a courier for Bob Sweeney and his 
banjo, which was carried nem. con.; and before half 
an hour had elapsed, the joyous minstrel occupied 
the post of honour upon the large mess-chest at our 
great camp-fire, and the music of the banjo, the 
sono^s of the bivouac, and the dances of the neorroes, 
amused us till a late hour, when we returned on 
Bearing's horses to our headquarters.* 

On Sunday the 14th, General Stuart said to me 
that, as all was quiet along the lines, he wished me 
to go to Eichmond for a few days on some matters 
of business. As I had never once asked for leave of 
absence since the commencement of my eventful 
campaigning, the General, at my request, very readily 
extended the term of my sojourn at the capital to 

* Captain Dearing, who was a very gallant and distinguished 
officer of artillery, was transferred at a later ])eriod of the war to 
the cavalry. He became the colonel of a North Carolina cavalry- 
regiment, and soon afterwards a general of brigade, in which posi- 
tion he gained a high reputation for daring enterprise and celerity 
of movement. A Federal bullet ended at once his brilliant military, 
career and his life, in one of the lights near Petersburg, a short 
time before the termination of the struggle. 



268 A VISIT TO EICHMOND. 

ten days. Brien and Vizetelly having determined 
to accompany me, the gay trio soon rolled along in 
one of the most nncomfortable of railway carriages 
to our place of destination, where we arrived the 
same evening, and took lodgings at the well-known 
Spotswood Hotel. My personal appearance, after so 
long a period of rough service in the field, was some- 
what out of repair for the streets of the metropolis. 
I looked, indeed, more like a bandit than a Staff 
officer. There were several large holes for ventila- 
tion in my hat, my coat was full of rents, and my 
riding-boots were soleless, so that, having worn for 
some time past my last pair of socks, my naked 
feet now touched the pavement as I walked. Not 
desiring to exhibit myself in this plight to the good 
people of Eichmond, I was obliged to spend the 
greater part of the following day in my room, until 
my tailor could make me presentable again. The 
effect of dress upon the outward man has very often 
been dwelt upon by worldly philosophers. When, 
in my new externals, I met Vizetelly in the after- 
noon, he barely recognised me, and assured me, 
with many polite bows, that he had not supposed 
it possible that I could have changed so much for 
the better. 

I found Eichmond very little altered ; especially 
had its generous hospitality known no abatement. 
I was received iti many houses with a cordial wel- 
come. Of course, I did not fail to pay my respects 
to General and Mrs Eandolph, who listened with 
the most flattering interest to the account of my 
adventures, and manifested their astonishment at my 
rapid progress in the English language. Very pleasant 
hours I spent at the charming residences of Mr P. 
and Mr W. H. M. With dinner-parties and busi- 
ness engagements, the time passed swiftly by, and 
I could scarcely believe that I had spent so long an 
interval of social enjoyment when the day of my 
departure arrived. 



PLANS OF BURNSIDE. 269 

I had packed my portmanteau and taken leave of 
my kind friends of both sexes in Eichmond, and the 
negro waiter at the Spotswood Hotel had just left 
my room, promising, with a grin upon his swarthy 
face, that I should certainly be called in time for 
the early train the following morning, when a tele- 
gram was brought me from General Stuart, ordering 
me to proceed by rail, not to Culpepper Court-house, 
as I had intended, but to the vicinity of Fredericks- 
burg, to which place he was upon the eve of trans- 
ferring his headquarters. General M'Clellan had 
already, on the 7th of November, been superseded 
as Federal Commander-in-Chief by General Burn- 
side, who, ambitious of a glory that in his wild 
dreams his exalted position seemed to promise him, 
and vehemently urged by the Government at Wash- 
ington to rouse himself from his inactivity, and 
undertake something conclusive with his largely 
reinforced and splendidly equipped army, had de- 
cided to try the shortest and most direct route to 
the long-coveted Confederate capital. Accordingly 
the new commander had moved the greater part of 
his force by rapid marches down the Kappahannock 
tow^ards Fredericksburg, hoping to cross the river 
and occupy the town before Lee should be able to 
divine his intentions. But Mr Burnside had not 
counted on the vigilance of Stuart's cavalry, the 
untiring activity of our scouts, and the promptness 
of decision that belonged to our noble leader ; and 
when he arrived opposite Fredericksburg, demand- 
ing, in grand words, the surrender of the j)lace, he 
found Longstreet, to his great surprise, seriously 
objecting to this, — Longstreet who, by a movement 
parallel to his own, had reached the spot with his 
corps several hours too early for him. Whereupon 
the Federal General was fain, after many useless 
threats to shell the town, to postpone yet a little 
w^hile his rapid "On to Eichmond," thus giving 
General Lee time to move his whole force towards 



270 JOURNEY TO FREDERICKSBURG. 

Fredericksburg, where, at tlie end of November, the 
two hostile armies were Gonfronting each other. 

This change of base gave me one day's longer leave 
of absence, as I could reach the vicinity of Fredericks- 
burg by rail in twenty-four hours' less time than 
Stuart by marching across the country. There being 
nothing to detain me in Richmond, I took advantage 
of my additional holiday to visit my dear friends, 

Dr P and his family, at Dundee, near Hanover 

Court-house, where I passed Sunday the 22d most 
delightfully, continuing my journey next day to 
Hanover Junction, which point I reached unfortu- 
nately too late for the passenger-train to Fredericks- 
burg. Being thus compelled to take a freight train, 
and to ride in an open flat, I felt the sharp, eager 
wintry air intensely. The train moved at a very 
slow pace, stopping at every little wayside station, 
so that it was late at night when we arrived at 
Hamilton's Crossing, the last stopping-place before 
reaching Fredericksburg. Here we were obliged to 
bring the train to rest a quarter of a nule from the 
station, as it was within range of the enemy's guns, 
and the Yankees shelled it furiously whenever they 
heard the sound of an engine. I was thus landed in 
utter darkness in the depths of the forest, and found 
myself soon sitting on my portmanteau, with every 
reasonable prospect that 1 should remain in this 
position until morning. Fortunately there were a 
number of Confederate surgeons, who, ha^ng been 
released from the different hospitals within the 
enemy's lines, were en route to report again to their 
respective commands, and had left the train under 
the same unhappy circumstances with myself ; and as 
a common misfortune always quickly unites those who 
are casually thrown together, it was not long before 
we were assisting each other in removing our luggage 
to a fire which at some distance glimmered through 
the woods. Here, to our great satisfaction, we found 
the camp of a quartermaster of the army, who was 



OUFt CAJVIP KEAR FREDERICKSBURG. 271 

able to give us all tlie information we desired, and 
very promptly rendered us every assistance. As 
the bulk of our army was three or four miles, and 
Stuart's headquarters at least five miles distant, and 
we had no means of transportation, we determined to 
rest here for the night, and readily availed ourselvesif 
of a large tent-fly which the quartermaster was kind 
enough to offer us, beneath which we were soon 
sufficiently comfortable — each member of the party 
contributing, from the stores brought with him, to a 
supper that might have been called luxurious. The 
next morning we contrived to get hold of an ambu- 
lance, and made an early start on our roundabout 
journey to the different positions of our troops. My 
point of destination being the most distant, I had to 
wait until the last of my pleasant companions had 
reached his special command before I could turn the 
horses' heads directly to Stuart's headquarters, which 
I gained not until a late hour of the forenoon. 

Our camp was situated in a small piece of pine- 
woods about five miles from Fredericksburg, on the 
Telegraph Eoad leading from that place to Eichmond. 
The white tents gleamed pleasantly amid the dense 
umbrage of the evergreen pines ; straight into the 
frosty air rose the columns of blue smoke from many 
chimneys, and the whole encampment wore so snug 
and comfortable an appearance, that it was far from 
affording me the least suggestion of the cold and 
hunger I should yet have to endure on this very spot. 
I had sSffi-cely climbed out of the ambulance, the 
news of my arrival having been rapidly circulated 
through the camp, when comrades and couriers, 
Stuart foremost of them all, hastened to welcome me. 
My chief was so much delighted at my return that 
he threw his arms around my neck in a transport of 
affection, and the general manner of my reception 
greatly heightened the happiness I felt in being once 
more with my dear companions-in-arms. My tent 
had been already pitched ; in the large chimney of 



272 ]VIY EECEPTION BY OLD COMRADES. 

it a generous fire was iii full blaze, and I had no 
sooner entered my new abode tlian I felt entirely at 
home in it. But I had scarcely time to deposit my 
luggage and hang up my arms, when Stuart's ringing 
voice summoned me to his ample tent, which boasted, 
V)esides many little internal comforts, the pheno- 
menal adjunct of two chimneys, and of which my 
chief seemed to be as proud as an Indian nabob of 
his sumptuous palace. Here all the members of the 
Staff soon gathered around me, and many more ques- 
tions were asked of me in a few minutes than I 
could answer in an hour. The greater part of these 
questions referred to the pretty and accomplished 
young ladies I had seen in Eichmond, the very men- 
tion of whose names caused the hearts of several of 
my younger comrades to beat quicker than the ex- 
citement of the field of battle. Dinner followed 
without loss of time ; then came Sweeney with his 
banjo, and dancing with the music ; and again I 
enjoyed the harmless, careless gaiety of our camp- 
life to the top of my bent. Late in the evening we 
had the pleasure of greeting our friends, Messrs Law- 
ley and Yizetelly, for whom a tent was pitched at 
once, and whom, by dint of blankets and a roaring 
wood-fire, we endeavoured to make as comfortable as 
possible in the severe season of frost that was upon 
us. Nevertlieless I had a hearty laugh the next 
morning, when, looking for our guests, I found my 
friend Lawley running up and down before his tent, 
shivering with cold, and trying, by the addition of a 
few sticks which he had collected one by one, to 
bring a large pile of wood into blaze. The wood 
long resisted his efforts to fan it into lively combus- 
tion, but a cup of hot coff'ee and a hearty breakfast 
in Stuart's double-chimneyed tent soon brought him 
into a sufficiently genial state to accept my invitation 
to drive Vizetelly and himself down to Fredericks- 
burg, to take a good look at the town and at our 
Yankee friends on the opposite side of the river. 



AGAIN VISIT FREDERICKSBURG. 273 

So the celebrated yellow waggon, with two of my 
chargers hitched to it, was soon in readiness, and 
after an hour's drive, amid the plaintive outcries of 
my victims as we rattled along over the rough frozen 
road, we reached the elevated ridge in front of the 
town, from which we had an excellent view of the 
town itself, the valley wherein it is situated, and the 
white tents and swarming numbers of the enemy on 
the heights across the Eappahannock. 

Fredericksburg, one of the oldest places in Vir- 
ginia, was before the war a pretty town of about 
5000 inhabitants, which enjoyed a considerable local 
trade, and was distinguished for the hospitality and 
refinement that belonged to its society. It was now 
comparatively deserted. The larger part of its citi- 
zens had been driven off by the continued threats of 
bombardment which had hung like a Damocles's 
sword above their heads for several weeks, and the 
few who had been compelled to remain behind 
plainly exhibited in their features that the apprehen- 
sion of doom was pressing like an iron weight upon 
their hearts. The knowledge on their part that more 
than a hundred hostile cannon, planted on the domi- 
nating " Shepherd's Heights " of Stafford, over the 
river, bore directly on their unfortunate town, might 
well have given disquietude to this community of 
non-combatants. A lively contrast was presented, 
however, in the demeanour of Barksdale's Mississippi 
Brigade, stationed at Fredericksburg, the men of 
which were wandering carelessly about, talking and 
laughing, as if there were no Yankees within the 
radius of a thousand miles from them, or making 
themselves at home in several of the largest houses 
which had been quite converted into barracks. As 
the river was not more than 200 yards wide, we 
could distinctly see each one of the numerous Yan- 
kee sentinels who were pacing to and fro in their 
light-blue overcoats on the opposite bank, and who 
frequently engaged in amicable conversation with 

s 



274 PUESUIT OF ART UNDER DIFFICULTIES. 

their adversaries across the stream, as it had been 
agreed that the firing by pickets at each other should 
be stopped for the time as a useless waste of ammu- 
nition. The Federals and Confederates were still 
nearer together at the site of the railway bridge 
which had been burnt at an earlier period of the 
war, leaving on either side the dismantled abutments 
and the timbers, extending to one or two piers, which 
were occupied by pickets ; and I could not help 
feeling some solicitude for the safety of Vizetelly, 
who had quietly seated himself and was making a 
sketch of the ruins of the viaduct and of the Stafford 
shore, a picture which afterwards appeared in the 
' London Illustrated News.' We were very soon at 
no loss to discover that the Yankees were under the 
impression that one. of our engineers was drawing a 
plan of their position and fortifications, for we could 
see them talking together in suspicious groups ; and 
after a little time several officers came up, who 
viewed our unconscious artist narrowly through their 
field-glasses ; and had he not opportunely retired,_at 
my instance, to a less exposed situation,,, a bullet 
from one of their sharpshooters would doubtless have 
demonstrated the impropriety or insecurity of his 
labours. 

On our return we made a little detour to the head- 
quarters of General Jenkins of South Carolina, com- 
manding a brigade of troops from the Palmetto State 
in Longstreet's corps, who received us very courte- 
ously, and insisted on our dining with him — an in- 
vitation which, after some hesitation, we accepted. 
Poor Jenkins met with a sad fate. After having 
served through the greater part of the war with the 
greatest gallantry and distinction, and having reached 
the exalted rank of major-general, he was killed 
through misadventure by his own men upon the 
same unhappy occasion when Longstreet was so se- 
verely wounded. 

It was late at night when we got back to our own 



OPOSSUM-HUNTING. 275 

headquarters, and I was not able to persuade our 
weary guests to join in a grand opossum-hunt, which 
the negroes had arranged to carry on in the adjoining 
woods. Opossum-hunting is a favourite sport with 
the negroes, and they rarely fail to make sure of 
their game. The meat of this ugly animal, which 
grows very fat in the latter part of the autumn, is 
quite similar to pork. The hunters go out always at 
night, when the opossum comes forth from his hole 
in quest of food; and the dogs, which have been 
carefully trained for the purpose, follow up the scent 
until they have made out in which tree the fright- 
ened fugitive has taken refuge, and commence at once 
a most dismal howling at the foot. The tree is then 
cut down, and the opossum, which invariably simu- 
lates death, falls an easy prey into the clutches of 
his enemies. (This ruse of the animal in appearing 
to be dead gives rise to the well-known American 
phrase of " playing 'possum/' when any one affects 
unconsciousness.) The stranger, unaccustomed to the 
manner of hunting the opossum, might suppose, from 
the horrible din that assails his ears — the blowing 
of horns, the yell of human voices, and the furious 
barking of the dogs — that the wild jager of Ger- 
many, or some equally ferocious beast of the Euro- 
pean forest, had come over on a visit to the back- 
woods of America. Very frequently in the opossum- 
hunt the dogs start a racoon, which more closely 
resembles the fox, and makes always a gallant fight, 
at times punishing his assailants severely. 



276 DISPOSITION OF THE CAVALRY. 



CHAPTEE XIV. 

DISPOSITION OF OUR CAVALRY FORCE — PELHAM's FIGHT WITH 
GUNBOATS — GREAT SNOWBALL ENGAGEMENT — ANOTHER 
ENGLISH VISITOR — AMUSEMENTS OF THE CAilP. 

The different brigades of our cavalry were now sepa- 
rated, guarding the numerous fords of the Eappahan- 
nock, which rendered necessary a picket-line of more 
than fifty miles in length. W. H. F. Lee's brigade 
was stationed on the Lower Eappahannock, near 
Port Eoyal ; Fitz Lee's command, under Epsser, at a 
point some distance beyond our headquarters, at 
Spotsylvania Court-house ; and Hampton's on the 
Upper Eappahannock, in Culpepper county. On 
the morning of the 27th November I galloped over 
to Eosser's headquarters upon some matters of busi- 
ness, which having been duly transacted, the Colonel 
and I proceeded together to the estate of a neigh- 
bouring planter, INIr E., a noted fox-hunter, with 
whose hounds the officers of Fitz Lee's brigade, when 
duty would admit of it, were accustomed to engage 
in the excitins^ diversion of the chase. General 
Stuart and his Staff had been invited by Mr E. to 
take part in a fox-hunt, the arrangements for which 
had been fully made, and we had looked forward to 
it with no little satisfaction ; but our ho]3es in this 
direction were frustrated by the important events 
which pressed upon us. 

Eeturning to our headquarters, I learned that 
Stuart had gone with Pelham to Port Eoyal, to drive 
off some of the enemy's gunboats which had ascended 
the river thus far with the view of forcing their way 
through to Fredericksburg; and next morning Dr 
Eliason and myself followed them, to take part in the 
engagement which was in all probability to come off. 



OUR EIDE TO PORT ROYAL. 277 

Being little acquainted with the country, however, 
we missed our way completely; and as it seemed 
too late to proceed farther, in complete uncertainty 
as to where we were going, and, moreover, as General 
Stuart was expected to return that same night, we 
resolved to retrace our steps to camp, taking Frede- 
ricksburg in our route. Here we stopped at the 
house of a well-known old wine-merchant, Mr A. 
with whom Dr Eliason was personally acquainted, 
and in whose cellar, after a good deal of tasting, we 
purchased for our mess two demijohns of excellent old 
madeira. We regretted very much, a few days later, 
that we had not laid in a larger supply of this capital 
wine, which was worthy of a happier destiny than to 
fall into the hands of the Yankees. Getting back to 
camp, we were derided mercilessly by our compan- 
ions of the Staff for having missed our way to Port 
Eoyal; but when next day we produced the madeira, 
there was an evident change in public opinion as to 
the ill-success of our expedition, and our little mis- 
adventure was set down as a most fortunate accident. 
Our purchase, indeed, met with a higher degree of 
appreciation than we had wished for, since, the news 
of it having been widely circulated, we had numerous 
visitors at camp ; and several officers, whose names 
need not be given, plied the demijohns so industri- 
ously that we thought they would never be able to 
find their way back to their respective encampments. 
On the morning of the 2d December I received by 
a courier information from Stuart that he had been 
unexpectedly detained at Port Ptoyal, together with 
orders that I should join him there at once; so that 
I started a second time with my portly friend the 
doctor on our journey. It was a disagreeable ride 
enough. The cold was intense, the road rough, and 
the distance long. We had ridden already more than 
twenty miles, the icicles hanging from our beards 
and our horses' nostrils, when we met General 
Stuart returning to Fredericksburg. He laughed 



278 PELHAMS FIGHT WITH GUNBOATS. 

heartily at us for our former unsuccessful ride, and 
ordered us to turn back with him. 

The fighting was over at Port Eoyal, and Pelham 
with his horse-artillery had met with his usual good 
fortune, inflicting much damage upon the enemy, 
and driving off the gunboats, which, from the narrow- 
ness of the stream and the height of the cliffs where 
our guns were posted, had scarcely been able to respond 
at all to the destructive fire which was pouring down 
upon them at so near a range. The return to camp 
was even more distressing than our ride of the morn- 
ing, as a heavy snow-storm set in, which continued 
throuQ-hout the ni<]^ht; and we reached our head- 
quarters, men and horses wet and chilled, and almost 
wearied out by a jom-ney of more than forty miles. 

The following morning we were enlivened by 
snowball fights, wliich commenced as skirmishes 
near our headquarters, but extended over the neigh- 
bouring camps, and assumed the aspect of general 
engagements. In front of our headquarters, beyond 
an open field of about half a mile square, Hood's 
division lay encamped in a piece of wood ; in our 
immediate rear stretched the tents and huts of a part 
of M'Laws's division. Between these two bodies 
of troops animated little skirmishes had frequently 
occurred whenever there was snow enough on the 
ground to furnish the ammunition ; but on the 
morning of the 4th, an extensive expedition having 
been undertaken by several hundred of M'Laws's 
men against Hood's encampments, and the occupants 
of these finding themselves considerably disturbed 
thereby, suddenly the whole of the division advanced 
in line of battle, with flying colours, the officers lead- 
ing the men, as if in real action, to avenge the insult. 
The assailants fell back rapidly before this over- 
whelming host, but only to secure a strong position, 
from which, with reinforcements, they might resume 
the offensive. The alarm of their first repulse hav- 
ms been borne with the swiftness of the wind to 



t GKEAT SNOWBALL FIGHT. 279 

their comrades, sliarpsliooters in large numbers were 
posted behind the cedar bushes that skirt the Tele- 
graph Eoad, and hundreds of hands were actively 
employed in erecting a long and high snow-wall in 
front of their extended lines. The struggle had now 
the appearance of a regular battle, with its charges 
and counter-charges — the wild enthusiasm of the 
men and the noble emulation of the officers finding 
expression in loud commands and yet louder cheer- 
ing, while the air was darkened with the snowballs as 
the current of the fight moved to and fro over the 
well-contested field. Nearer and nearer it came to- 
wards our headquarters, and it was soon evident to 
us that the hottest part of the engagement would 
take place on our neutral territory. Fruitless were 
the efforts of Stuart and myself to assert and main- 
tain the neutrality of our camp, utterly idle the 
hoisting of a white Hag; the advancing columns 
pressed forward in complete disregard of our signs 
and our outspoken remonstrances, clouds of snow- 
balls passed across the face of the sun, and ere long 
the overwhelming wave of the conflict rolled pitilessly 
over us. Yielding to the unavoidable necessity which 
forbade our keeping aloof from the contest, Stuart 
and I had taken position, in order to obtain a view 
over the field of battle, on a big box, containing ord- 
nance stores, in front of the General's tent, where we 
soon became so much interested in the result, and so 
carried away by the excitement of the moment, that 
we found ourselves calling out to the men to hold 
their ground, and urging them again and again to the 
attack, while many a stray snowball, and many a 
well-directed one, took effect upon our exposed per- 
sons. But all the gallant resistance of M'Laws's men 
was unavailing. Hood's lines pressed resistlessly 
forward, carrying everything before them, taking the 
formidable fortifications, and driving M'Laws's divi- 
sion out of their encampments. Suddenly, at this 
juncture, we heard loud shouting on the right, where 



280 PREPARATIONS FOR RECEIVING THE ENEMY. 

two of Anderson's brigades liad come np as reinforce- 
ments. The men of M'Laws's division, acquiring 
new confidence from tliis support, rallied, and in turn 
drove, l)y a united charge, the victorious foe in head- 
long flight back to their own camps and woods. 
Thus ended the battle for the day, unhappily with 
serious results to some of the combatants, for one of 
Hood's men had his leg broken, one of M'Laws's men 
lost an eye, and there were other chance-wounds on 
both sides. This sham-fight gave ample proof of the 
excellent spirits of our troops, who, in the wet, wintry 
weather, many of them without blankets, some with- 
out shoes, regardless of their exposure and of the 
scarcity of provisions, still maintained their good- 
humour, and were ever ready for any sort of sport or 
fun that offered itself to them. 

On the morning of the 5th, General Stuart and 
myself, with several other members of the Staff, 
again set out for Port Eoyal, where some of the 
Federal gunboats were renewing their demonstra- 
tions. The day was bitterly cold, and the road ex- 
ceedingly slippery from the frost, so that the ride 
was anything but pleasant. All along our route we 
found our troops, chiefly those of Jackson's corps — 
Old Stonewall having established his headquarters 
midway between Fredericksburg and Port Eoyal, at 
the plantation of James Parke Corbin, Esq., known as 
" Moss Neck " — busily employed in throwing up for- 
tifications, rendering our position as impregnable as 
it afterwards proved itself to be. They had greatly 
improved the highway also, erected lines of tele- 
graphic communication to the headquarters of the 
different corps of the army, and cut military roads 
through the woods to various points along our lines. 
It was late in the evening, and darkness had over- 
taken us, when we reached the charming country- 
seat of " Gaymont," within a short distance of our 
place of destination, where a most cordial hospitality 
was extended to us, and where, in the snug library. 



A NEW ENGLISH GUEST. 281 

before a glorious wood-fire, we warmed our lialf- frozen 
limbs, and remained in delightful conversation with 
the ladies till a late hour of the night. 

The following day it was reported by our scouts 
and patrols that the gunboats had disappeared. It 
was Sunday, and we spent it as a day of rest, in 
the most blissful quietude. On Monday morning we 
reluctantly took leave of our kind hosts, and started 
on a reconnaissance up the river with General D. H. 
Hill, who with his division formed the extreme 
right of our infantry lines, and occupied a position 
where a crossing of the stream offered every kind of 
advantage to the enemy, though, strange to relate, 
they never availed themselves of it. The Yankees 
were in plain view on the other side of the river, and 
were evidently very active in erecting fortifications, 
marching and countermarching small bodies of troops, 
and in communicating with other parts of their lines 
by signal-flags. 

]^ight wa's far advanced when we returned to our 
headquarters, where we found, to our great delight, 
a pleasant addition to our little military family in 
an English guest, Captain Phillips, of the Grenadier 
Guards, who was profiting by a short leave of 
absence from his battalion, stationed at the time in 
Canada, to witness some of the active operations of 
the war on our side. The next day there was a 
review of the South Carolina Brigade of General 
Jenkins, in an open field within half an hour's walk 
of our camp, and I had the gratification of taking 
our new guest to see it. General Jenkins received 
us with his habitual courtesy, and manifestly felt 
great pride in showing off his magnificent brigade, 
which consisted of about 3500 men, veterans who 
had participated in nearly all the great battles of the 
war. Captain Phillips was highly pleased with the 
appearance of the brigade, and the material of which 
it was composed, saying, that while they would not 
do for a parade in Hyde Park, with their motley 



282 START FOR A BALL. 

uniforms and tlieir style of marching, the men 
looked like work. One of the regiments, the 
Hampton Legion, raised at the breaking-out of the 
war by the distinguished patriot and soldier whose 
name it bore, carried a flag displaying many rents of 
shot and shell, which had been presented to it by 
Mrs Hampton, who, with her own fair hands, had 
made it out of a robe worn by her several years 
previous at a " Drawing-Eoom " of her Majesty Queen 
Victoria. 

AVe accepted General Jenkins's kind invitation to 
dine with him at his headquarters, where we passed 
some most agreeable hours, and were sent back to 
our camp by the General on his own horses, Captain 
Phillips riding a superb animal, a bay, which had 
been presented by the State of South Carolina to 
her gallant son. 

Desirous of amusing our guest, and of making 
our rough camp-life as agreeable to him as possible, 
we had secured invitations to a country ball which 
was to come off the night following at a small 
plantation, about ten miles distant, and for which 
we had promised to provide the music. Accord- 
ingly, about six o'clock the next evening, the very- 
frequently- before -mentioned yellow waggon was 
again brought out, and four spirited mules of the 
medical department of our headquarters were har- 
nessed to it. Sweeney reported himself with his 
banjo and two fiddlers, and very soon the whole 
company, consisting of Captain Phillips, Major Pel- 
ham, Major Terrell, Captain Blackford, Lieutenant 
Dabney, and myself, w^ith our musicians, were 
settled on the rough wooden planks which con- 
stituted the improvised seats of our carriage, and 
the carriage itself was in rapid motion. General 
Stuart's mulatto servant Bob, who was to accompany 
the instrumental performance with his inimitable 
rattle of the bones, followed us with a led horse for 
Captain Phillips, in case the violent jarring of our 



WE ARE OVERTURNED. 283 

vehicle should prove too much for one not accus- 
tomed to such rude transportation. As an expert 
driver I had taken the reins in my own hands, the 
mules being rather difficult to manage from having 
run off several times with their accustomed teamster. 
So we rattled along through the cold starlight night, 
waking the echoes of the woods with song, and 
creating a sensation in many encampments en route, 
from which the soldiers ran out and cheered us as 
we passed. All went well for a little time, when 
Major Terrell, who somewhat prided himself on his 
driving, proposed to take the reins — a change of 
position to which I consented the more readily, 
because I felt a great desire to unite in the animated 
conversation and merriment going on behind me. 
Our rate of progress now became greatly accelerated, 
and the rapid clatter of the hoofs of our fleet 
animals on the hard-frozen road, just covered with 
snow, struck pleasantly on the ear, as all began to 
partake of the agreeable excitement which great 
velocity of movement generally produces ; when 
suddenly, with a loud crash and a heavy thump, the 
waggon, overturning, projected its inmates in various 
directions fully ten paces out upon the snow. For- 
tunately for us, the mules, struck dumb with as- 
tonishment most probably at this unexpected turn 
in affairs, remained very quietly in their tracks, 
while the scattered members of our party gathered 
themselves up to examine into the extent of the 
disaster. Nobody having received serious injury, 
though all were more or less bruised, we were in 
condition to be diverted at the accident, and heartily 
to deride Major Terrell, who had managed to upset 
us by driving directly against a stump several feet 
in circumference and as many feet in height. 

The waggon having marvellously escaped, to all 
appearance, without a fracture, it was soon set up 
again, and Major Terrell, not without some cavil, 
having been reinstated as driver, away we went on 



284 OUR VAN EECEIVES ITS COUP DE GRACE. 

our journey not less rapidly tlian before. But the 
severe thump against the tremendous stump had 
been, alas ! the coiqy de grace for the dear old yellow- 
painted Yankee van, which was to carry us no more. 
After creaking and groaning very painfully for a 
mile or two, the back part of it all at once gave way 
everywhere, landing us rudely once more on the 
snowy ground. Captain Blackford was the chief 
sufferer from the casualty, one of the w^heels, which 
had been violently detached from the axletree by 
the shock, having passed directly over his head, cut- 
ting so deep a gash in it that we had to employ all 
our pocket - handkerchiefs in making bandages to 
stanch the flow of blood. We were now no longer 
in a frame of mind to lausjh over our misfortunes, for 
we were yet four miles from our place of destination ; 
around us lay the wide forest of the Wilderness, 
with no human dwelling within striking distance, 
and above us was the intense wintry night. A re- 
turn to camp was not to be thought of, as it would 
have subjected us to the endless ridicule of our 
comrades. A council of war was at once held over 
the ruins of the waggon. Our English guest, who 
had borne all the discomforts and mishaps of our 
journey with soldierly nonchalance, was left to decide 
upon our course, and his decision was that we should 
go on. Indeed, the unanimous vote of our party, 
including even poor wounded Captain Blackford, 
was to grin and bear it, and carry out the original 
expedition in the best way that we could manage. 
The two fore-wheels of the wagfi^on, to which the 
mules still remained hitched, being uninjured, and 
securely connected by the axletree. Captain Phillips, 
Dabney, and myself seated ourselves on this narrow 
base; the four other gentlemen mounted the four 
mules, the musicians mounted the led horse, and so 
this extraordinary caravan proceeded on its way. 
After an hour of torture, during which the headlong 
speed of our team over the rough plank-road had 



OUR evening's festivities. 285 

given to the sufferers on tlie axletree the sensation 
of riding on a razor, we reached the scene of the 
evening's festivity. The mansion was brilliantly 
lighted up, many fair ones had already assembled, 
and the whole company awaited, with impatience 
and anxiety, the arrival of their distinguished guests 
and the promised music. Sweeney lost no time in 
his orchestral arrangements. In a very few minutes 
the banjo vibrated under his master hand, the two 
fiddles shrieked in unison, and Bob's bones clattered 
their most hideous din ; and in the animated beat of 
the music, and the lively measures of the dance, we 
soon forgot the little desagremerbs of our journey. 
Our English captain entered into the fun quite as 
heartily as any of us. If there was no magnificent 
hall, with the light showering down from a thou- 
sand wax candles on the brilliant toilettes of Europe, 
to call forth our admiration, there were many prett}^ 
faces and sparkling eyes worth looking into ; and it 
was quite delightful to see our foreign friend winding 
through the mazes of many bounding quadrilles and 
Virginia reels with an evident enjoyment of the 
same. After several hours of mirth and dancing, 
we accepted the kind offer of our host to lend us 
one of his own waggons for our return to head- 
quarters, where we arrived a short time before day- 
break, little thinking how soon we should be aroused 
by the notes of a very different music from that of 
Sweeney's orchestra. 



CHAPTEE XY. 

BOMBARDMENT OF FREDERICKSBURG — EVENTS PRECEDING 
THE BATTLE OP FREDERICKSBURG. 

11th December. — I had enjoyed but a few minutes 
of repose, enveloped in my warm blankets, when I 



286 DESCKIPTION OF THE FIELD OF CONFLICT. 

was waked from sleep by a dull heavy noise, which, 
in the earliest moments o^ consciousness, I believed 
to have been produced by the thawing and sliding 
down of the snow that had accumulated on the top of 
my tent. I was quickly undeceived, however, by my 
negro servant Henry, who, appearing at my tent door, 
informed me in a single abrupt sentence of the true 
condition of affairs. " Major," said Henry, " de Yan- 
kees is shelling Fredericksburg. I done saddled your 
horse, and de General is ready for to start." This 
intelligence brought me in an instant to my feet. 
Inserting my legs into my huge cavalry-boots, I soon 
emerged from the tent, and in a few minutes T gal- 
loped off with the General and the other members of 
the Staff in full haste for the front. 

Tor the reader's better comprehension of the events 
I am about to narrate, it will be necessary to describe 
the position of the two hostile armies, and the ground 
on which one of the most sanguinary battles of the 
present century was to be fought. The little valley 
in which Fredericksburg is situated is enclosed on the 
south side of the Eappahannock by a range of hills, 
which, directly opposite the town, are known as 
" Marye's Heights," and approach within half a mile 
of the river, and which, receding from it afterwards 
in a semicircular or crescent-like sweep of five miles 
to a distance of three miles from the stream, again 
trend towards it near Hamilton's Crossing, at whicli 
point the interval between them may be one mile and 
a half. jNIost of these hills are covered with a thick 
copse of oak, and only in front of the town are they 
quite bare of trees. The ground towards the Eappa- 
hannock is open and flat, and is intersected only by 
some small streams — such as the Hazel and Deep 
Eun — and broken immediately upon the river by 
several large and deep ravines, which afforded ser- 
viceable shelter to the Federal troops in their retreat 
under the fire of our artillery. This valley is cut 
nearly in half by the railway from Hamilton's Cross- 



POSITION OF OUR FORCES. 287- 

iiig to Fredericksburg, tlie high embankment of which 
was used by a portion of Jackson's troops as a breast- 
work. Nearly parallel with the railway runs the 
county turnpike road, which, at a distance of four 
miles from Fredericksburg, branches off, leading on 
the right to Hamilton's Crossing, where it crosses the 
railway, giving the name to the station, and on the 
left to Port Eoyal, where it strikes the Eappahannock. 
The turnpike road from Fredericksburg to the fork 
just mentioned, being carried for a considerable dis- 
tance through deep cuts, formed a formidable defen- 
sive work for the Federals. 

On this semicircle of hills, the relative position of 
which to the river, the railway, the turnpike, and the 
town I have endeavoured to render intelligible, our 
army, numbering in all about 80,000 men, was posted 
in order of battle behind a continuous line of in- 
trenchments, concealed from the enemy's view by 
the thick underwood, which, except in a few small 
spaces, covers the ridge abundantly. Longstreet's corps 
formed the left, Jackson's the right, of our lines. Our 
extreme left, constituting Anderson's division, rested 
on a broad swampy ditch, which about two miles above 
Fredericksburg makes up from the Piappahannock ; 
then came Piansom's and M' Laws' s divisions, the right 
wing of the latter extending across the Telegraph 
Eoad, there joining Pickett's troops ; and farther on 
Hood's division, which occupied as nearly as possible 
the centre of our whole line of battle, at a point where 
the hills open into a small valley for the passage of 
the creek, Deep Eun ; yet further on came Early's 
division of Jackson's corps. The extreme right was 
composed of A. P. Hill's division, holding in reserve 
the troops of Taliaferro. The splendid division of 
D. H.* Hill, having been kept back by some demon- 
strations of the enemy in the direction of Port Eoyal, 
did not join us until the evening of the battle, the 
13th, when it took its place on the extreme right. The 
cavalry, with the exception of Hampton's brigade. 



288 POSITION OF OUR FORCES. 

which was operating on the upper Eappahannock, 
and our horse-artillery, y.nder Pelham, occupied the 
road leading from Hamilton's Crossing to Port Eoyal, 
our right extending to Massaponax Creek, and our 
line of battle thus stood nearly perpendicular to the 
lines of the main army. The bulk of the artillery, 
numbering about 250 pieces, was well posted all along 
the lines, but was principally concentrated into large 
batteries, on the extreme right, under Colonel Lindsay 
Walker, in the centre under Colonel Alexander, and 
on the left opposite Fredericksburg, on Marye's 
Heights, under Colonel Walton. The Eappahannock 
is closely lined on its northern bank by a range of 
commanding hills, on which the hostile artillery, 
consisting of more than 300 pieces, some of them of 
heavier calibre than had ever before been employed 
in the field, were advantageously posted. The greater 
part of them, especially those on the Stafford Heights, 
l3ore immediately on the town, but nearly all were in 
a position to sweep the plains on our side of the river. 
The entii-e strength of the Federal army in the battle 
amounted to not less than 150,000 men. 

Eeaching our lines, we found General Lee on an 
eminence which, rising considerably above the other 
heights, a few hundred yards to the right of the 
Telegraph Eoad, afforded a view over nearly the whole 
plain before him, and gave our great commander the 
opportunity of watching closely the operations of the 
enemy, and controlling the movements of his own 
army in accordance therewith. This hill having been 
occupied by General Lee during the enthe progress 
of the battle, received his name, and to all future 
generations of Southerners it will be known as the 
spot from which their gallant forefathers were led on 
to victory. Longstreet and several other generals 
were also assembled here, looking anxiously towards 
Fredericksburg, as jet concealed from their sight by 
a dense fog which hung heavily over the little valley. 
Information had been received here that under cover 



ANXIOUS HOURS. 289 

of the fog the enemy had endeavoured to lay his 
pontoon bridges across the river, but that, by the 
accurate and effective fire of Barksdale's Mississippi 
brigade, the Federal engineers and working parties 
had been driven off with heavy loss, and all their 
efforts had been so far unsuccessful. The cannonade 
which had so rudely roused us from our slumbers 
had been nothing more than an artillery duel between 
some of the Federal batteries and a like number of 
our own, and had now ceased altogether; and the 
quiet of the morning w^as disturbed only by the re- 
peated cracks of Barksdale's rifles sounding over from 
the river, from which we knew that the enemy's 
bridge -building was still resisted with spirit. The 
frequent reports which reached us from that quarter 
were as favourable as could be desired — " All right ! 
the enemy have been driven back, with severe loss, 
from their pontoons." 

So several hours passed wearily away, oppressing 
every one of us with an anticipation of the sad spec- 
tacle we should soon be compelled to witness in the 
bombardment of the town. Already the Telegraph 
Ptoad leading up to the heights from Fredericksburg 
was thronged with a confused mass of fugitives, men, 
women, and children, who had not been willing or 
able to leave their homesteads before, bearing with 
them such of their effects as they could bring away, 
and as they most wished to save, many of which, 
having been dropped in the haste and terror of their 
exodus, marked the line of their flight as far as the 
eye could reach. Ten o'clock came, and the hammers 
of the church-clocks were just sounding the last 
peaceful stroke of the hour, when suddenly, at the 
signal of a single cannon-shot, more than 150 pieces 
of artillery, including some of the enemy's most pon- 
derous guns, opened their iron mouths with a terrific 
roar, and hurled a tempest of destruction upon the 
devoted town. The air shook, and the very earth be- 
neath our feet trembled at this deafening cannonade, 

T 



290 BOMBARDMENT OF FKEDERICKSBURG. 

the heaviest that had ever yet assailed my ears. The 
thick fog still prevented us from obtaining a satisfac- 
tory view of the bombardment ; but the howling of 
the solid shot, the bursting of the shells, the crashing 
of the missiles through the thick walls, and the dull 
sound of falling houses, united in a dismal concert of 
doom. A^ery soon the exact site of the unhappy 
town was indicated, even through the fog, by a rising 
column of smoke and dust, and the flames of burning 
buildings broke out of the dark overhanging canopy 
with reddening glare, while the bursting bombs flashed 
athwart the gloom like the arrowy lightning in a 
thunder-cloud. Our batteries did not respond to the 
guns of the enemy with a single shot. It was evident 
enough that nothing could be done to save the place 
from the desolation to which it had been fore-doomed 
by the wanton barbarity of the Federal commander. 
The horrible din lasted for two hours, and was suc- 
ceeded by perfect silence — the silence of a solitude. 
About noon, a gentle breeze, springing up just as the 
roar of the latest guns died away, lifted the veil which 
had mysteriously shrouded the valley, and the sun, 
breaking through the clouds, seemed to mock with 
its garish splendour the smoking ruins it revealed. 
Sad indeed was the scene that presented itself to our 
gaze, and to the eyes, filled with tears, of the mourn- 
ful fugitives whose once happy homes lay before 
them, shattered or smouldering; and every heart of 
the thousands of brave Confederate soldiers who 
witnessed it burned for revenge. 

It may be supposed that we thought with great 
anxiety of our Mississippi brigade, which had all the 
time been exposed to this feu d'enfer ; but the sharp 
crack of their rifles soon gave us the gratifying 
assurance that these gallant fellows, unmindful of the 
death and anguish which shot and shell had been 
spreading amid their ranks, had firmly maintained 
their ground, and were ready to meet the enemy's 
attack ; and a little later we received the satisfactorv 



fc> 



PASSAGE OF THE EIVER BY THE FEDERALS. 291 

report that a renewed attempt of the Federals to force 
the building of their bridges had been defeated. But 
General Lee knew very well that he would not be 
able to prevent the passage of the river by the Federal 
army; and having entertained from the beginning no 
idea of seriously contesting this, he now gave orders 
for Barksdale's brigade to withdraw gradually from 
the town, and to keep up only a feigned resistance. 
Accordingly, about 2 P.M., Fredericksburg was alto- 
ether abandoned by our men, after a sanguinary 
fight had been maintained for a considerable time in 
the streets. During the rest of the afternoon and 
evening, the pontoon bridges having been completed, 
the dense masses of the Federal army commenced to 
move over to our side of the river. 

In the quietude that followed the hurly-burly of 
the day we exchanged felicitations upon the great 
blunder of the Federal commander in thus running 
right into the lion's mouth, and preparing to attack 
us in a position of our own choice, where his defeat 
was wellnigh certain — a lack of generalship on his 
part which we had scarcely dared to hope for. Even 
the face of our great commander Lee, which rarely 
underwent any change of expression at the news of 
victory or disaster, seemed to be lit up with pleasure 
at every fresh report that a greater number of the 
enemy had crossed the river. With the gathering 
darkness Stuart returned to our cavalry headquarters, 
attended by the members of his Staff, for a short 
interim of rest, each one of us looking forward with 
good confidence and certain hope, in common with 
our whole army, to the great battle which, in all 
human probability, would be joined at an early 
hour of the following day. 

12th December. — At an early hour of the morning 
we were again assembled on "Lee's Hill," viewing 
the plain beneath us, from which the fogs of the 
night were just rising, and where the rays of the 
newly-risen sun revealed many thousands of Yankees 



292 PKEPARATI02s^S FOU BATTLE. 

who liad crossed from the Stafford side of the river 
since the previous afternoon. The enemy seemed 
as busy as bees. Long trains of artillery and ammu- 
nition and provision \yaggons were to be seen descend- 
ing the heights on the opposite side, and interminable 
columns of infantry, blue in colour, and blurred by 
distance, Howed towards us like the waves of a steadily- 
advancing sea. On and on they came, with flash of 
bayonets and flutter of flags, to the measure of mili- 
tary music, each note of which was borne to us by the 
morning breeze, and we could distinctly observe them 
deploy into line of battle. From the many heavy 
batteries over the river rose, from time to time, little 
white puffs of smoke, and the deep, dull boom of the 
big guns was almost immediately followed by the 
angry whirr of a 50 or 100-pound shell, which falling, 
in the majority of instances, too short, did little or no 
damage. Our artillery, from different points along our 
line, occasionally answered the enemy's guns with just 
as little effect ; and our confident belief that the great 
battle would be fought on the morning of the 12th 
was more and more weakened as the day wore on. 

About eleven o'clock I was asked by General 
Stuart to accompany him on a ride along our line of 
battle to the extreme risjht, that we might look after 
our horsemen, reconnoitre the position and move- 
ments of the enemy in that direction, and ascertain 
whether the nature of the ground was such that a 
charge of our whole cavalry division during the im- 
pending fight might be profitably attempted. It 
was a pleasure and an encouragement to pass the 
extended lines of our soldiers, who were lying care- 
lessly behind their earthworks, or actively engaged 
in throwing up new ones — some cooking, others gaily 
discussing the designs of the enemy, and greeting 
with loud cheers of derision the enormous shells, 
which they called "Yankee flour-barrels," as these 
came tumbling into the woods around them, and to 
read in every bronzed face of them all eagerness for 



KECONNOITRING WITH STUART. 293 

the conflict, and confidence as to the result. The 
atmosphere had now again become obscure, and the 
fog was rolling up from the low swampy grounds 
along the margin of Deep Run Creek, in the imme- 
diate front of Hood's and Early's divisions. Here 
we turned off into a narrow bridle-path, which bore 
away some distance from our lines, but would shorten 
our ride by nearly a mile. AVe had proceeded but a 
few steps in a careless trot, when suddenly a long 
line of horsemen in skirmishing order appeared 
directly before us in the mist. I felt very certain 
they were Federal horsemen, but Stuart was unwill- 
ing to believe that the Yankees would have the au- 
dacity to approach our position so closely; and as 
the greater part of them wore a brownish dust- 
coloured jacket over their uniforms, he set them 
down as a small command of our own cavalry re- 
turning from a reconnaissance. So we continued 
upon our route yet a little farther, until, at a dis- 
tance of about forty yards, several carbine- shots, 
whose bullets whistled around our heads, taught us 
very plainly with whom we had to deal. At the 
same moment ten or fifteen of the dragoons spurred 
furiously towards us, demanding, with loud outcries, 
our surrender; hearing. which, we galloped in some 
haste back to our lines, where our bold pursuers 
were received and put to flight by Early's sharp- 
shooters. A considerable number of our infantry 
skirmishers now moved forward to drive the dashing 
cavalrymen off; but the latter held their ground 
gallantly, and kept up so annoying a fire with their 
long-range carbines, that our men did not obtain any 
advantage over them, while Stuart and myself could 
not look without admiration upon the address and 
intrepidity our enemies displayed. General Hood, 
who had been attracted by the noise of the brisk 
fusillade, soon came riding up to us, and seeing at a 
moment what was going on, said, '' This will never 
do ; I must send up some of my Texans, who will 



294 hood's TEXANS AND THE YANKEE CAVALRY. 

make short work of these impudent Yankees." One 
of Hood's adjutants galloped off at once with an order 
from his general, and soon a select number of these 
dreaded marksmen, crawling along the ground, after 
their wild Indian fashion, advanced upon the Federal 
dragoons, wdio had no idea of their approach until 
they opened iire at a distance of about eighty yards. 
In a few seconds several men and horses had been 
killed, and the whole Federal line, stampeded by a 
galling fire from an unseen foe in a quarter wholly 
unexpected, broke into confused and rapid flight. 

This opened the w^ay for us, and we continued our 
ride without farther interruption. On the left wing 
of A. P. Hill's division, we had to pass a small piece 
of wood, extending in a triangular shape about six or 
eight hundred yards outside of our lines, with a base 
of about half a mile,* offering, in my opinion, a great 
advantage to the enemy, and I remarked to Stuart 
that I thought it ought to be cut down. He did not 
regard this as necessary, as he did not believe that, 
under the sweeping cross-fire of our artillery, the 
Federals could ever advance so far. The events of 
the following day proved, however, that I had been 
right, as, under cover of this identical piece of w^ood, 
a hostile division approached so rapidly and unex- 
pectedly that here alone our line was broken, and we 
suffered severe loss before the enemy could be driven 
back. We found our horsemen in good spirits, and 
ocpupying their position on the Port Ptoyal road, 
where the right wing was engaged in a lively skir- 
mish with a body of Federal cavalry, which ended 
in the withdrawal of the latter. Our comrades of the 
other arms of the service had indulged in some cap- 
tious criticism of the cavalry for not having given 
the decisive finishing stroke to great battles by grand 
and overwhelming charges, as had been done in 
the times of Frederick the Great and Napoleon — 
criticism that was unwarranted and unjust, since the 
nature of the ground in Virginia did not favour the 



DEPKECIATION OF THE CAVALRY. 295 

operations of cavalry, and since the great improve- 
ment in firearms in our day had necessitated a very 
material change in cavalry tactics. Still more un- 
kind and uncalled-for did such animadversions appear 
when it was considered what important services had 
been rendered by the cavalry — the hard fighting they 
had done, the wearisome marches they had made, the 
fatigue and cold and hunger they had cheerfully en- 
dured. Nevertheless General Stuart was anxious, 
with every officer and private under his command, 
to show that we were able to do what other cavalry 
had accomplished before us ; and all burned with 
the noble ambition of winning an enduring fame on 
so grand a theatre, with the eyes of the whole army 
resting upon us. The forty centuries that looked 
down from the Pyramids on the legions of the mighty 
Corsican did not inspire them with a more generous 
ardour. The open plain before us, cut by only a few 
ditches, and with only here and there a fence run- 
ning across it, seemed to offer us the arena for the 
realisation of our dreams of glory ; but upon a closer 
survey of the ground we found it much too soft for 
a charge with any chance of success, as the horses, 
moving even at a moderate speed, would sink several 
feet into the mire. A sluggish artillery fire which 
had lasted all day, grew, about one o'clock, into a 
spirited cannonade all along the lines, in which the 
Federal light batteries on our side of the river took 
no part, it being altogether maintained by their 
heavier guns on the Stafford Hills. This continued 
until two o'clock, when the firing slackened again 
to the occasional boom of the largest pieces of 
ordnance. 

On the road between Hamilton's Crossing and 
Fredericksburg, thousands of Yankees were working 
like beavers in digging rifle-pits, and erecting works 
for their artillery. Stuart being anxious to discover 
exactly what they were about, I rode with him in 
that direction to a small barn, where we dismounted 



296 EECONNOITRING WITH LEE AND JACKSON". 

and tied our horses, and thence carefully approached 
the hostile lines by creeping along a ditch which led 
into the main turnpike road, constituting the boun- 
dary of an inconsiderable plantation. Thus we pro- 
ceeded until we reached a slight eminence only a 
few hundred yards from the Yankees, where two big 
posts, the remains of a dismantled gate, concealed 
us from their observation. Our own view was so 
satisfactory, that with our field-glasses we could 
distinctly mark the features of the men. It was 
evident enough to us that they were engaged in 
converting the simple road into a most formidable 
work of defence, and that in Jackson's front they 
were massing large forces of infantry and artillery, 
of the latter of which I counted thirty-two guns in 
one battery. Quite content with what we had seen, 
we returned to our horses, and I received orders to 
ride at once to General Lee to make report of our 
reconnaissance, General Stuart himself galloping over 
to A. P. Hill. After a ride of a few minutes, I met 
Generals Lee and Jackson, who were taking a turn 
to inspect our own lines, and to reconnoitre those of 
the enemy. Upon hearing what I had to tell them, 
both generals determined at once to repair them- 
selves to the point of look-out from which we had 
just withdrawn, and, leaving their numerous escort 
behind, accompanied only by an orderly, they rode 
forward under my guidance to the barn already men- 
tioned. Here the horses were placed in charge of 
the orderly, and we made our way on foot to the 
gate-posts. Fearing to augment the danger of their 
situation by my presence, I retired to the roadside 
some twenty yards distant, and left the two great 
leaders to their conference and survey. I must con- 
fess I felt extremely nervous as regards their safety, 
so close to the enemy, who surely little suspected 
that the two greatest heroes of the war were so nearly 
in their clutches. One well-directed shot, or a rapid 
dash of resolute horsemen, might have destroyed the 



NARROW ESCAPE OF CAPTAIN PIIILLTPS. 297 

hopes and confidence of our whole army. The sen- 
sation of relief on my part was therefore great, when, 
after many minutes of painful anxiety and impa- 
tience, the generals slowly returned, and we reached 
our horses without accident. 

We were now soon joined by Stuart, and all, ex- 
cept Jackson, who parted with us to regain the 
troops under his command, rode back to Lee's Hill, 
from which a desultory cannonade was still kept up. 
Here we found that one of our 3 2 -pounder Parrott 
guns had burst only a few moments before — a disaster 
which was fortunately not attended with loss of life, 
but which came very near proving fatal to our Eng- 
lish friend Captain Phillips, who was standing at the 
instant of the explosion quite close to the gun, huge 
fragments of which had been scattered with fearful 
violence all around him. The witnesses of the scene 
were full of admiration at the coolness displayed by 
our visitor on this occasion, and none of us could 
fail to remark the soldierly indifference to danger he 
manifested under heavy fire throughout the day. 
These Parrott guns had been manufactured in Rich- 
mond, and the iron of which they were cast was so 
defective that a second s^un burst the same evenin"-, 
wounding several of the gunners severely. At dusk 
the firing ceased altogether, and we returned to our 
headquarters, where our little military family, officers 
and guests, gathered around the glowing fires of 
Stuart's double-chimneyed tent to recite the adven- 
tures of the past, and discuss the chances of the com- 
ing day. 



298 BATTLE OF FREDERICKSBURG. 

CHAPTEE XVI. 

THE GREAT BATTLE OF FREDERICKSBURG. 

13th December 1862. — The darkness of night was 
just giving way before the doubtful light of morning, 
which struggled with a dense, all-obscuring fog, when 
the bugle sounded to horse at our headquarters. In 
obeying the summons, every man girded his sword 
more tightly around his waist, and looked with 
greater care than usual to the saddling of his horse 
and the loading of his revolver, feeling well assured 
that the hour of the momentous conflict had indeed 
arrived. Our guest, Captain Phillips, believing that 
he should obtain a more extended and satisfactory 
view of the engagement from Lee's Hill than from 
the position of our cavalry on the right flank, made 
up his mind to separate himself from us for the day, 
and at an early hour we parted with this portly grena- 
dier, whose engaging manners had endeared him to 
us all. Our j^arting liad just that little admixture of 
sadness in it which came from the involuntary mis- 
giving that possibly we were bidding each other a 
linal farewell. Captain Phillips had worn in camp 
a narrow red and blue striped necktie, consisting of 
a bit of the ribbon of his regiment, the Grenadier 
Guards, which, at the moment of leaving us, he 
handed to Pelham, with the request that he would 
wear it as a talisman during the battle, and return it 
afterwards to the owner to be preserved as a relique. 
The boy-hero, with the blush of modesty and pride 
suffusing his fair cheek, readily accepted the compli- 
ment, and, tying the ribbon around his cap, galloped 
off with us to the front, where we hastened to take 
our position on the extreme right. On our way we 
met General Maxey Gregg, a gallant officer from 
South Carolina, with whom I exchanged a few words 



PLANS OF GENERAL LEE. 299 

of friendly greeting for the last time, as a few liours 
afterwards lie was a corpse. 

Jackson had chosen his own position on an emi- 
nence, within a few hundred yards of Hamilton's 
Crossing, which rose above the general elevation of 
the ridge in a similar manner to Lee's Hill on the 
left, and which has ever since borne the name of 
" Jackson's Hill," from its having been rendered his- 
torical by the presence of the great warrior during the 
tight. Here we first directed our horses, and here we 
found Stonewall and A. P. Hill, with their respective 
Staffs, looking out through the white mists of the 
morning into the plain below, from which arose an 
indistinct murmur, like the distant hum of myriads 
of bees, vaguely announcing to us its hostile occupa- 
tion by thousands of human beings. Jackson and 
Stuart concurred in the opinion that it would be the 
best plan to make a sudden general attack upon the 
enemy under cover of the fog, which must have pre- 
vented the fire of the numerous Federal batteries on 
the other side of the Eappahannock, or caused that 
fire to be ineffective ; but General Lee had decided 
in council of war against any offensive movement, 
preferring to fight behind his intrenchments and to 
inflict a severe blow upon the enemy without the 
risk of fearful loss of life, even should the material 
result prove a less decided one. After remaining for 
half an hour upon Jackson's Hill, we rode down to 
the lines of our cavalry, and found our sharpshooters 
all along the Port Eoyal road, well posted in rifle-pits 
or behind the high embankments of the turnpike, 
the regiments themselves a little farther back in re- 
serve, and Pelham's eighteen pieces of horse-artillery 
in favourable position, the young leader longing for 
the combat, and anxious to open the ball with some 
of his light guns. 

Nine o'clock caftie, and still the vaporous curtain 
overhung the plateau, still the brooding silence pre- 
vailed, which always seemed the deeper just before 



300 COMMENCEMENT OF THE BATTLE. 

the furies of war were to be unchained; and we 
slowly returned to th^ Crossing, almost despairing 
that the decisive action would be fought on that day. 
Here we dismounted to rest our horses, and I found 
a convenient seat on a large box, one of many filled 
with boots and uniforms for om^ soldiers, which had 
been deposited near the station for distribution 
among the respective commands of our army. I had 
been seated but a few minutes, when suddenly it 
seemed as though a tremendous hurricane had burst 
upon us, and we became sensible upon the instant 
of a howling tempest of shot and shell hurled against 
our position from not fewer than 300 pieces of artil- 
lery, which had opened all along the hostile lines, 
with a roar more deafening than the loudest thunder. 
Hundreds of missiles of every size and description 
crashed through the woods, breaking down trees and 
scattering branches and splinters in all directions. 
I was just calling out to the orderly who held my 
horse, and had been walking the animal up and 
down at the distance of a hundred yards, to return 
to me at once, when, about thirty paces from me, a 
young officer of artillery, struck by the fragment of 
a shell, fell with a groan to the earth ; I immediately 
rushed to his assistance, but reached him only to 
receive his parting breath as I lifted him from the 
spot. This incident, sad as it was, saved my own 
life, for, a few seconds after I had left my seat, a 
huge shell, falling into a pile of boxes and bursting 
there, shattered them to atoms, filling the air with 
the debris of wood, leather, and clothing. 

As this cannonade was in all probability to be im- 
mediately followed up by a general attack, we gal- 
loped to our post with the cavalry, which as yet had 
suffered not at all from the heavy fire of the enemy, 
this being concentrated chiefly upon our main line. 
And now the thick veil of mist that had concealed 
the plain from our eyes rolled away, like the draw- 
ing up of a drop-scene at the opera, and revealed to 



GRANDEUR OF THE SPECTACLE. 301 

US the countless corps, divisions, brigades, and regi- 
ments of the Federal army forming their lines 
of attack. At this moment I was sent by Stuart 
to General Jackson with the message that the 
Yankees were about commencing their advance. I 
found Old Stonewall standing at ease upon his hill, 
unmoved in the midst of the terrible fire, narrowly 
observing the movements of the enemy through his 
field-glass. The atmosphere was now perfectly clear, 
and from this eminence was afforded a distinct view 
of more than two-thirds of the battle-field, and the 
larger part of the whole number of the advancing 
foe, extending as far as the eye could reach — a mili- 
tary panorama, the grandeur of which I had never 
seen equalled. On they came, in beautiful order, as 
if on parade, a moving forest of steel, their bayonets 
glistening in the bright sunlight ; on they came, 
wavino' their hundreds of re^^imental flags, which re- 
lieved with warm bits of colouring the dull blue of 
the columns and the russet tinge of the wintery 
landscape, while their artillery beyond the river con- 
tinued the cannonade with unabated fury over their 
heads, and gave a background of white fleecy smoke, 
like midsummer clouds, to the animated picture. 

I could not rid myself of a feeling of depression 
and anxiety as I saw this innumerable host steadily 
moving upon our lines, which were hidden by the 
woods, where our artillery maintained as yet a per- 
fect silence, General Lee having given orders that 
our guns should not open fire until the Yankees had 
come within easy canister range. Upon my men- 
tioning this feeling to Jackson, the old chief an- 
swered me in his characteristic way : " Major, my 
men have sometimes failed to take a position, but 
to defend one, never ! I am glad the Yankees are 
coming." He then gave me orders for Stuart to em- 
ploy his horse-artillery, and open fire at once on the 
enemy's flank. 

Pelham was accordingly directed to prepare for 



302 PELHAM OPENS FIRE ON THE ENEMY. 

action, but, being exceedingly anxious to go to work 
without a moment's delay, he begged Stuart to allow 
him to advance two of his light pieces to the fork of 
the road where the turnpike branches off" to Fre- 
dericksburg, as from this point the masses of the 
enemy offered him an easy target. The permission 
being giving, Pelham went off with his two guns at 
a gallop, amidst the loud cheering of the cannoneers, 
and in a few minutes his solid shot were ploughing 
at short range with fearful effect through the dense 
columns of the Federals. The boldness of the enter- 
prise and the fatal accuracy of the firing seemed to 
paralyse for a time and then to stampede the whole 
of the extreme left of the Yankee army, and terror 
and confusion reigned there during some minutes : 
soon, however, several batteries moved into position, 
and, uniting with several of those on the Stafford 
Heights, concentrated a tremendous fire upon our 
guns, one of which, a Blakely gun, was quickly dis- 
abled and compelled to withdraw. I was now sent 
by General Stuart to tell Pelham to retire if he 
thought the proper moment had arrived, but the 
young hero could not be moved. " Tell the General 
I can hold my ground," he said, and again and again 
pealed out the ringing report of his single gun, upon 
which at one time 32 pieces of the enemy's artillery 
were brought to bear in a sweeping cross-fire, which 
killed and wounded many of the men, so that at last 
Pelham had to assist himself in loading and aiming 
it. Three times the summons to retire was renewed ; 
but not until the last round of ammunition had been 
discharged, and after spreading carnage for two hours 
in the ranks of the Federal infantry, did the gallant 
officer succamb to necessity in abandoning his posi- 
tion.* 

* For the gallantry displayed here, and his great services ren- 
dered during the latter part of the battle, Pelham was highly 
complimented in Stuart's, Jackson's, and Lee's reports, the latter 
of which styled him "the gallant Pelham''— a title which was 



THE BATTLE BECOMES GENERAL. 303 

The rest of our horse-artillery had in the mean 
time joined in the cannonade, and the thunder soon 
rolled all along our lines, while from the continu- 
ous roar the ear caught distinctly the sharp, rapid, 
rattling volleys of the musketry, especially in the 
immediate front of General A. P. Hill, where the 
infantry were very hotly engaged. The battle was 
now fully developed, and the mists of the morning 
were presently succeeded by a dense cloud of powder- 
smoke, out of which rose ever and anon the dark 
column from an exploding caisson. At intervals 
above the tumult of the conflict we could hear the 
wild hurrah of the attacking hosts of the Federals, 
and the defiant yell of the Confederates, as the as- 
sault was repulsed. Directly in our own front the 
cavalry sharpshooters had become occupied with 
long lines of hostile tirailleurs, and a vivid fusillade 
raged all along the Port Eoyal road, the shot and 
shell of our horse-artillery, which was in position in 
our rear, crossing in their flight the missiles of the 
enemy's batteries high in air above the heads of our 
men. The firing grew most animated near a number 
of stacks of straw, which a body of Federal infantry 
had taken possession of, and which off'ered them so 
efficient a shelter that all attempts to dislodge them 
had proved in vain. I had just been ordering our 
men not to waste their ammunition, and to fire only 
when they saw the person of a Yankee completely 
exposed, when close at hand I heard the dull thud 
of a bullet striking home, and turning round saw 
one of our soldiers, a gallant young fellow whom I 
knew well, throw up his arms and fall heavily to 
the ground. Dismounting at once I hastened to his 
side, but finding that the ball had struck him right 

adopted in a short time by the whole army, and which has often 
been employed in these memoirs. Several English writers have 
done justice to his heroism on this special occasion. — See Ches- 
ney's ' Campaigns in Virginia,' vol i. p. 192; Fletcher's ' History 
of the American War,' vol. ii. p. 250. 



304 CESSATION OF THE ATTACK ON JACKSON. 

in the middle of the forehead, I regarded him as a 
corpse, and deemed all i^urther assistance wholly un- 
necessary. JSTot many minutes had elapsed, how- 
ever, before the apj)arently dead man began to move, 
and when the surgeon, who had already arrived, 
poured some brandy down his throat, to our infinite 
amazement he opened his eyes. A few hours later, 
miraculous to relate, when the bleeding from the 
wound had ceased, he had recovered sufficiently 
from the severe shock to return to his post of duty. 
According to the surgeon's statement, the ball, strik- 
ing obliquely, had glanced, passing between cuticle 
and skull all around the head, emerging at last from 
the very place it had first entered ! 

The fury and tumult of the battle lasted all the 
forenoon and until two o'clock in the afternoon along 
Jackson's lines. A comparative quietude then suc- 
ceeded, the infantry firing died away, and only a 
regular intermittent cannonade was kept up in our 
immediate front ; but from the left opposite Freder- 
icksburg there came to us the heavy boom of artil- 
lery and the distant rattle of small-arms, and we 
knew the light still raged there with undiminished 
vehemence. So far all had gone favourably for us. 
The division of A. P. Hill had sustained the first 
shock of the Federal attack, which for a while had 
promised success to the enemy. On the left wing 
of this division, under cover of the fog and protected 
by the triaugular piece of wood already described, 
the hostile column had fallen rather suddenly upon 
our men, the first line of whom, consisting of a 
brigade of JSTorth Carolina conscripts, gave way, 
reaching the second line in their retreat at the same 
moment nearly with their pursuers, with whom they 
became indiscriminately mingled, whereby was caused 
inevitable confusion and great loss of life on our 
side. Here the gallant General Gregg fell mortally 
wounded while attempting to rally his men. Our 
reserves speedily coming up, however, with the right 



KEPEATED EEPULSES OF THE ENEMY. 305 

wing of Early's division, the Yankees were repulsed 
with severe loss, and pursued far into the plain. 
The whole of Early's and Hood's divisions now soon 
became engaged, and after a short but sanguinary 
contest succeeded in driving back the enemy in like 
manner with fearful slaughter. Again and again, 
with the most obstinate courage and energy, did the 
Federals renew the attack, bringing more and more 
fresh troops into action ; but their dense lines were 
so much shattered by the appalling fire of our artil- 
lery that, upon coming within range of our infantry 
and being there received with a withering hail of 
bullets, they broke and fled time after time, leaving 
the ground strewn with hundreds of their dead and 
wounded. Our men could with difficulty be held 
back in their intrenchments, and more than once 
followed the flying host far oul upon the plateau, 
until the sweeping fire of the Yankee batteries put 
an end to their pursuit. Immediately in front of 
Jackson's Hill the fight had for a considerable 
X)eriod been fiercest, and our antagonists, repeating 
the onset with the greatest bravery, had on several 
occasions come up to the very muzzles of our guns. 
Here, opposite his great namesake, fell the Federal 
General Jackson. The troops under his command 
broke into disorderly flight after his death, and one 
of his regiments, from the State of Pennsylvania, 
was captured to the last man in the railway cut in 
front of our position, where they sought shelter from 
the tremendous fire of artillery and musketry that 
poured down upon them. 

While the Yankees were thus suffering reverses in 
this portion of the field, large masses of their troops 
had been concentrated near Fredericksburg, oj)posite 
Marye's Heights, where that stern and steady fighter 
Longstreet awaited their attack with his accustomed 
composure, and where our great leader Lee himself 
inspired the troops by his presence. This portion of 
our lines was unquestionably the strongest, and the 

U 



306 THE ATTACK ON LONGSTKEET. 

folly of the Federal commander in sending his men 
here to certain death and destruction is utterly in- 
comprehensible. All along Marye's Heights runs a 
sunken road, fenced in with a stone wall on either 
side, which in itself constituted a most formidable 
defensive work for our troops ; a little higher up the 
hill there was a regular line of intrenchments, the 
defenders of which might fire over the heads of those 
below them, and the crest was occupied by the nu- 
merous pieces of the famous Washington Artillery, 
under their gallant commander Colonel Walton ; so 
that the assailants were received with a triple sheet 
of fire, which swept them away by hundreds. The 
Federals certainly behaved with the utmost gallantry. 
Line after line moved forward to the assault, only to 
recoil again and again fi^om the murderous tempest 
of shot, shell, and bullets, and to strew yet more 
thickly with dead and wounded the crimsoned field, 
which was afterwards most appropriately named "the 
slaughter-pen." Pickett's division was but little en- 
gaged here, the wider open space of ground giving 
ample opportunity to our artillery to play upon the 
hostile columns, scattering them and throwing them 
into disorder even before they could form their lines 
of attack. 

About three o'clock in the afternoon there seemed 
to be a new movement preparing on the enemy's 
left, and General Stuart, suspecting it might be a 
movement on our right flank, ordered me to proceed 
with twenty couriers to our extreme right, reconnoitre 
the operations of the Yankees as closely as possible, 
and send him a report every five minutes. Captain 
Blackford, who possessed a very good field-glass, vol- 
unteered to accompany me, and we at once trotted 
ofi" together. upon our hazardous expedition. Near to 
the point where the Massaponax Creek falls into the 
Eappahannock, and at about one hundred yards' 
distance from the larger stream, there rises a small 
elevation of ground thickly covered with cedar and 



RECONNOrmiNG THE ENEMY. ^07 

pine trees, from which we were well assured there 
might be obtained a good view over the river, and 
the whole left wing of the Federal army. This hil- 
lock was quite outside of our lines, and there had 
been pushed forward towards it only a small body of 
our sharpshooters, whom we found lying concealed 
in the bushes below, for the Yankees, perfectly aware 
of the importance of this point of observation, had 
cleared the summit of its occupants by a severe 
fire whenever a grey uniform had been seen there. 
Leaving the couriers at the foot of the hill, Black- 
ford and I dismounted and climbed cautiously up 
to the top, creeping along through the bushes and 
concealing ourselves behind some pine-trees that 
grew on the way. The view which here presented 
itself to our eyes far exceeded our expectations. The 
Yankees, not more than a thousand yards distant 
from us, were evidently enough preparing for a new 
advance ; reinforcements were moving up at a double- 
quick and forming into line of battle as they arrived ; 
troops that had been engaged in the battle and been 
repulsed were marching sulkily to the rear ; wounded 
men were being carried off by hundreds, while there 
galloped up and down the lines general officers with 
their Staffs, some of whom we could personally recog- 
nise through our glasses. To the right we looked 
down upon the river for a considerable distance, and 
could plainly see and count the heavy guns on the 
opposite bank, and could even hear the conversation 
of the -cannoneers. Cautious as we had been, how- 
ever, the Yankees quickly discovered our presence, 
and a number of their sharpshooters, sent forward to 
dislodge us, commenced a sharp fire of exploding 
bullets, which, striking the objects around us, burst, 
with the noise peculiar to these projectiles, and 
scattered their fragments in every direction like 
small-shot. Well protected by the pine-trees we 
paid little attention to this fusillade, when suddenly 
I observed two pieces of artillery moving into posi- 



\ 



308 KENEWED ATTACK BY THE YANKEES. 

tion, and before Blackford finished uttering the words, 
" Yon, the Yankees are going to shell us out of this/' 
a missile, whizzing towards us, struck the topmost 
branches of one of the pines, and, exploding there, 
rained do^vn upon us a shower of limbs and splinters. 
Others followed in rapid succession with increasing 
accuracy of aim, so that Ave concluded to evacuate 
the spot and seek shelter for a time on the opposite 
side of the hill. Breaking at once through the 
bushes, we thought it would be an easy matter enough 
to get to a place of security, but the enemy's gunners 
followed our movements with a nicety of calculation 
so admirable that shot after shot came yet nearer 
and nearer to us, and at the very moment that we 
supposed w^e had got out of their reach, a shell 
passed so near to our heads that my gallant friend 
and myself w^ere precipitated headlong by the force 
of windage at least fifteen feet dow^n the hillside, 
where we both lay motionless for a brief space, and 
then rose in a fit of uncontrollable laughter as we 
looked each in the other's blank and astonished face. 
Eeturning, as soon as the firing had ceased, to the 
spot w^e had so suddenly abandoned, w^e saw the 
Federal lines moving forward to their new attack, 
which was introduced and supported by a cannonade 
of several hundred pieces equal in fury to that of the 
morning. The balls fired from the opposite side of 
the river howled and hissed in their course over our 
heads, each shot of the heav}^ guns reverberating from 
the cliffs like rolling thunder, w^hile the musketry 
soon became audible again, giving proof by its in- 
creasing vehemence that the hostile parties w^ere now 
hotly engaged. An hour of anxiety and doubt passed 
away, until at five o'clock w^e saw scattered fugitives 
straggling to the rear, their numbers augmenting 
every moment, until whole regiments, brigades, and 
divisions, in utter confusion and bewildered flic^ht, 
covered the plain before us. Blackford, as excited 
as myself, jumped from his hiding-Jlace, and, throw- 



ITS ENTIllE DEFEAT. 309 

ing his hat in the air, cried out, " Thank God, they 
are whipped — they are running ! " Yes ; there was 
no doubt about it — they were running ; and all the 
efforts of their officers, whom we could distinctly see 
using their sabres against their own men to check 
the precipitate retreat, were unavailing. All discip- 
line w^as lost for the moment, and those thousands of 
troops whom an hour before we had seen advancing 
in beautiful military order, now presented the spec- 
tacle of a stampeded and demoralised mob. Hav- 
ing kept Stuart constantly informed of the enemy's 
movements, I was at this moment more careful to 
send courier after courier to apprise him that the 
Yankees were routed, and that in my judgment the 
time for our attack had arrived ; but my general did 
not fully credit my report, until at my urgent request 
he galloped up to us in person to see, just a little too 
late, how correct my account of affairs had been. Off 
we noAv hastened to Jackson, who at once sent to 
General Lee the request that he might leave his 
intrenchments without further delay, fall upon the 
enemy, and render the victory complete. A single 
cannon-shot fired from our centre was to be the signal 
for the general attack by our whole line, at which 
movement Stuart was to press forward with his cavalry 
and horse-artillery vigorously upon the enemy's flank. 
Eeturning to our position on the Port Eoyal road, 
we awaited in anxious silence the so much desired 
signal ; but minute after minute passed by, and the 
dark veil of night began to envelop the valley, when 
Stuart, believing that the summons agreed upon had 
been given, issued the order to advance. Off we 
went into the gathering darkness, our sharpshooters 
driving their opponents easily before them, and Pel- 
ham, with his guns, pushing ahead at a trot, firing a 
few shots whenever the position seemed favourable, 
and then again pressing forward. This lasted about 
twenty minutes, when the fire of the enemy's infantry 
began to be more and more destructive, and other 



310 ADVANCE OF STUAET. 

fresh batteries opened upon ns.* Still all remained 
silent upon our main line. Stuart himself, as usual, 
was always in the extreme front, exposing his person 
to the hottest fire; one bullet had already pierced 
his haversack, and another torn the fur collar off his 
cape, and the wonder was that any one of us had 
escaped unhurt. 

Our situation had become, indeed, a critical on6, 
when a courier from General Jackson galloped up at 
full speed bringing the order for Stuart to retreat as 
quickly as he could to his original position. Our 
commander-in-chief, adhering to his earliest idea, 
still objected to a forward movement, for which, in 
my judgment, the golden moment had now passed, 
had he inclined to favour it. Under cover of the 
darkness of the night, we conducted our retrograde 
movement in safety, and reached our old position on 
the Port Eoyal road with but slight loss. 

The division of D. H. Hill had now arrived at 
Hamilton's Crossing, and had been placed at once in 
the open field upon Jackson's right, where might be 
seen the glare of their hundreds of camp-fires, and 
where they were busily engaged in throwing up in- 
trenchments. On our left_:Nving the assault of the 
enemy had been renewed at dark, and had been at- 
tended with the same fatal result to them with their 
efforts elsewhere, and the ground in front of Marye's 
Heights was heaped with dead bodies, chiefly those 
of the brave Irishmen of ]\Ieagher's brigade, which 
went to the attack 1200 strong, and left 900 of their 
number upon this dreadful spot. About seven o'clock 
the battle ceased for the day ; only random cannon- 
shots were still interchanged, the flight of the shells 
distinctly marked in flaming curves across the dark 

* It must be remarked here that the division of Federal in- 
fantry opposite to us had not as yet gone into the battle, and 
therefore had not ]:)een included in the rout, and that the Yankees 
had gained time enough to replace their demoralised troops with 
reserves lirawoj as rapidly as possible from the other side of the 



MAGNITUDE OF THE VICTORY. 311 

firmament, and the shadows of evening fell npon a 
battle-field, the nameless horrors of which none of 
us had even measurably conjectured — a battle-field 
where thousands of mutilated and dying men lay in 
hopeless anguish, writhing in their wounds, and piti- 
lessly exposed to the sharp frosty air of the winter's 
night. 

iS'ot one of our generals was aware of the magni- 
tude of the victory we had gained, of the injury we 
had inflicted upon the enemy, and of the degree of 
demoralisation in the hostile army, everybody re- 
garding the work as but half done, and expecting a 
renewal of the attack the following morning. Of 
our own army only one-third had been engaged, and 
our loss did not exceed 1800 Jn killed and wounded. 
Most of these belongedTo^. P. Hill's division, and 
had fallen during the first attack in the morning on 
the spot where our lines had for some time been 
broken. We had to mourn the loss of two general 
officers, Maxey Gregg of South Carolina, and Thomas 
E. E. Cobb of Georgia, who fell on Marye's Heights. 
At his side General Cooke, a brother of Mrs Stuart, 
was dangerously wounded in the forehead. The Fed- 
eral loss was not less than 14,000 in killed a*nd 
wounded (we took only 800 prisoners), and in this 
frightful aggregate of casualties was to be reckoned 
the loss of many officers of rank. Among these there 
was the much-lamented General Bayard, a cavalry 
officer of great promise, who, far in the rear of his 
lines, was torn to pieces by one of our exploding shells 
while in the act of taking luncheon under a tree. 

General Lee has been much criticised, and chiefly 
by English writers, for not having assumed the offen- 
sive in this battle ; but every one who knows how 
exceedingly difficult it had become, already at that 
time, to fill the ranks of the Confederate army, and 
how valuable each individual life in that army must 
have been considered, and, on the other hand, what 
reckless prodigality of life characterised the Federal 



312 PRUDENCE OF GENERAL LEE'S CONDUCT. 

Government and the Federal commanders, carinor 
little that 20,000 or 30,0i}0 men should be killed in 
a campaign, when as many more Germans and Irish- 
men could be readily put in their places, — I say that 
every one who bears in mind these facts will agree 
with me in thinking that our commander-in-chief 
acted with great consideration and wisdom. There 
was scarcely an officer in the whole army who did 
not confidently believe that the attack would be re- 
newed the next day ; and where an opportunity was 
likelv to be afforded of a^ain inflicting^ serious dam- 
age upon the enemy with trifling injury to ourselves, 
it surely cannot be censured as a fault to have spec- 
ulated upon the incapacity of the adversary. Gene- 
ral Lee, who had been careful to strengthen the 
weaker portions of his line during the night, said in 
my presence on the following morning, " My army 
is as much stronger for their new intrenchments as 
if I had received reinforcements of 20,000 men." I 
regard it as almost certain that had the Federal com- 
mander been able to carry out his intention of renew- 
ing the struggle, the second day would have turned 
out even more disastrously to him than the first. 

It was a late hour of the night when w^e returned 
to headquarters for a short rest. There we found 
Captain Phillips, who congratulated us heartily upon 
having safely passed through the perils of the day, 
and who spoke with enthusiasm of the magnificent 
view of the battle wdiich he had obtained from Lee's 
Hill. With a modest smile, Pelham returned to the 
Captain the bit of regimental ribbon he had worn as 
a talisman during the fight, its gay colours just a 
little blackened by powder-smoke, for it had flaunted 
from the cap of the young hero in the very atmos- 
phere of Death. Poor Pelham! he has been lying 
these three years in his early grave there in Alabama, 
whose Indian name, " Here we rest," has a pathetic 
significance as applied to the " narrow home" of one 
so young and so full of promise ; and the record of 



CAPTUKE AND ESCAPE OF TWO OF THE STAFF. 313 

his services to liis country fills a few pages in the 
melancholy story of an unsuccessful struggle for 
national existence ; but his memory is green in the 
hearts of friends that survived him, and a brave 
English soldier cherishes the ribbon he wore at Fre- 
dericksburg as one of the dearest souvenirs of the 
past in his possession. 

We were greatly delighted at finding also at head- 
quarters two of the younger members of the Staff, 
Lieutenants Hullyhan and Turner, who had just re- 
turned from a dangerous expedition into the enemy's 
lines on the other side of the Eappahannock. Several 
days before they had gone off with the hope of rescu- 
ing from the hands of the Yankees, Miss Mary Lee,, 
the daughter of our commander-in-chief and a dear 
friend of General Stuart's, who, while on a visit to 
some friends in the county of Stafford, had been cut 
off from her home and family. This was an expedi- 
tion after my own heart, but I was prevented from 
undertaking it by General Stuart's energetic opposi- 
tion. The young lieutenants had reached in safety 
the house where Miss Lee was staying ; but as her 
friends were afraid to allow her to accompany them 
on their return, they were compelled to come back 
without their expected precious charge — fortunately 
enough, indeed, for the lady, as they were very soon 
taken prisoners by a patrol of Federal cavalry. Dur- 
ing the night following their capture they found the 
opportunity of overpowering and killing two of their 
sentinels with their own carbines ; and mounting, 
just in the nick of time, the horses of the Yankee 
guard, they made good their escape before the rest of 
their captors had recovered from their amazement at 
the boldness of the venture. 



314 EXPECTED RENEWAL OF THE BATTLE. 

CHAPTER XVII. 

THE EVENTS OF THE 14TH, 15TH, AND 16TH DECEMBER. 

Darkness stiU prevailed when we mounted our 
horses and again hastened to Jackson's Hill, the 
summit of which we reached just in time to see the 
sun rising, and unveiling, as it dispersed the hazy 
fogs of the damp, frosty winter's night, the long lines 
of the Federal army, which once more stood in full 
line of battle about half-way between our own posi- 
tion and the river. I could not withhold my admira- 
tion as I looked down upon the well-disciplined lines 
of our antagonist, astonished that these troops now 
offering so bold a front to our victorious army should 
be the same whom, not many hours since I had seen 
in complete flight and disorder. The skirmishers of 
the two armies were not much more than a hundred 
yards apart, concealed from each other's view by the 
high grass in which they were lying, and above 
which, from time to time, rose a small cloud of blue 
smoke, telling that a shot had been fired, before the 
report came feebly wafted to us by the light morning 
breeze. 

As the boom of artillery now began to sound from 
different parts of the line, and the attack might be 
expected every minute, each hastened to his post. 
As on the previous day, our cavahy was briskly 
engaged with the hostile sharpshooters, and again 
the firing sounded loudest in the neighboarhood of 
the straw stacks already mentioned. That these 
should no longer ofier a shelter, some of Pelham's 
well-directed shells soon set the dry material in a 
blaze, and the squad of forty or fifty Yankees who 
had sought the protection of the stacks, finding the 
place too hot to hold, sca,mpered off in a body, ac- 
companied by a loud cheer from our men, and a weU- 



A DISAPPOINTMENT. 315 

aimed volley, which brought down several of the 
fugitives. Hour after hour passed away in anxious 
expectation of the combat; but though the skir- 
mishing at times grew hotter, and the fire of the 
artillery more rapid, long intervals of silence again 
succeeded. As usual, the hostile batteries were not 
chary of their ammunition ; and whenever a group 
of officers showed itself plainly within range, it was 
at once greeted with a couple of shells or solid shot. 
Having to ride over to Fitz Lee, who, with the greater 
part of his brigade, was in reserve, I met Dr J., whose 
acquaintance I had made during one of our raids. 
He was just driving up to the General in his buggy, 
which, besides its hospitable inmate, contained an 
excellent cold dinner and a bottle of whisky for our 
solace. We had scarcely, however, begun to unpack 
the chickens and biscuits, and the cork was still on 
its way through the neck of the whisky bottle, when, 
instead of the " cluck " announcing its complete ex- 
traction, our ears were greeted with a sound never 
pleasing at any time, but at this particular moment 
more than ever awakening disgust — the whizzing of 
a shell which plunged into the soft ground not more 
than twenty feet off, covering us instantaneously with 
an abundant coating of mud. This was too much for 
the nerves of our peaceful host, who drove off, carry- 
ing with him the much-coveted refreshments, which 
had delighted our eyes only to delude our remaining 
senses. We followed him, however, in eager pursuit, 
and succeeded several times in overtaking and arrest- 
ing the flight of the precious fugitive, but each time 
our happiness was cut short by the enemy's artillery, 
whose aim pursued the buggy as tenaciously as 
ourselves, till at last we took refuge in a deep ravine, 
completely screened from the keen eyes of the Yan- 
kees, who, as we completed our meal, came in for a 
fire of maledictions for their want of common cour- 
tesy and consideration. 

Thus did the day wear on to its close without any 



316 EFFECT OF THE AETILLERY-FIEE ON THE FOREST. 

event of importance ; and it becoming evident as 
the evening advanced t^at the attack would not be 
renewed on the 14th, we returned after nightfall 
once more to our short night's rest at headquarters. 
Thincfs looked verv little chana^ed when, on the cold, 
clear morning of the loth, we rode up to Jackson's 
Hill ; and General Stuart deciding to remain until 
serious fighting should commence, we had an oppor- 
tunity of having a good look at the devastations 
caused by the tremendous artillery-fire of the 13th. 
The forest was literally torn to pieces — trees more 
than a foot in diameter were snapped in two, large 
branches were shattered to splinters, and scarcely 
a small twisj but showed marks of some kind of 
missile. In many places the ground was ploughed 
up by the cannon-balls, which, together with pieces 
of shell, canister, and grape-shot, lay strewn in every 
direction. Most of our dead had already been 
buried, but the carcasses of the animals were still 
lying about in large numbers ; the batteries of 
Walker's artillery on Jackson's Hill having lost not 
less than ninety horses during the first two hours of 
the terrific bombardment. 

The morning passed slowly away, the anxious 
silence maintained being broken only by the firing 
from time to time of the heavy batteries ; and many 
of our leaders, Stuart and Jackson foremost, began 
to give up any hope of a renewal of the attack, 
/^'he latter general was still in favour of a night 
Vattack, and proposed that our men should be strip- 
.ped naked to the waist, so that they might easily 
(' recognise each other in the darkness and confusion 
• of the conflict. About twelve o'clock two mounted 
of&cers, followed by a small squad of cavalry, bear- 
ing a white flag, suddenly appeared riding towards 
us from the enemy's lines, and soon after General 
Jackson received a report that a flag of truce had 
"arrived, with a request on the part of the Federal 
generals to be allowed to bury their dead and 



BUEYING THE DEAD. 317 

look after the wounded. To this Stonewall did 
not think proper to accede, as the application was 
not signed by the Federal commander-in-chief, an 
omission which, on several previous occasions, had 
opened the way to serious misunderstandings. Ac- 
cordingly the Federal officers retired to obtain the 
signature of Burnside, and did not return until after 
a delay of nearly two hours, when the permission 
which humanity dictated being applied for in due 
form, was readily granted. 

Being one of the officers appointed on our side to 
superintend the proceedings, I rode forthwith down 
to the plain, and thus had the first opportunity of 
inspecting the battle-field in our immediate front. 
The burial parties of the Federals were ready and in 
excellent order, and as soon as the truce was ac- 
cepted, different columns, from 200 to 300 strong, 
moved forward in double-quick and went at once to 
work, taking up the wounded and burying the dead, 
assisted by a large number of our own men, who 
had long been anxious to bring help to the wounded 
sufferers outside our intrenchments, but were de- 
terred from yielding to their humane impulses by 
the bullets of the enemy's sharpshooters. All had 
been going on thus smoothly for half an hour, when 
suddenly some of the batteries in the enemy's 
centre opened a heavy fire. The excitement and 
consternation caused by this was immense ; the cry 
of treason ran along our lines ; our men hurried 
back to their arms, while the Federal officers 
exerted themselves to maintain unbroken the peace- 
ful relations which threatened for some little time to 
end in a sanguinary conflict. Fortunately, however, 
the firing soon afterwards ceased, and full explana- 
tions being given, proving the apparently treacherous 
act to have been a mistake, the work of humanity 
proceeded. 

The carnage had raged most fiercely immediately 
opposite Jackson's HlLI, and many hundred dead 



318 YANKEE CRITICISMS OF BURNSIDE. 

and wounded lay there intermingled. We had con- 
siderable difficulty in discovering the body of the 
Federal General Jackson, and it was at last found in 
a small ravine. Beside him lay his adjutant, a very 
fine-looking young man, who, riding a grey horse 
during the action, had attracted the attention of our 
men, and frequently elicited their admiration by his 
conspicuous gallantry. His noble charger, only a 
few steps from him, was pierced by several bullets, 
and had probably fallen at the same moment with 
his brave rider. The poor wounded were in a 
miserable state after their long exposure to cold and 
hunger, and many were dying simply from starva- 
tion and neglect. We held long and interesting 
conversations with the Yankee officers, and were 
not a little surprised at the freedom and severity of 
the criticisms they passed on their commander-in- 
chief, and the candid acknowledgment of the heavy 
losses and severe defeat they had sustained. These 
gentlemen asserted that General Burnside was per- 
fectly incapable of commanding a large army; 
that his splendid troops had been sacrificed and 
slaughtered uselessly, but that the General himself 
had taken good care not to endanger his own life, 
having ob.served and directed the battle from Phil- 
lips's House, a point of safety on the Stafford side 
of the river. There being but a comparatively small 
number of our dead, they were soon buried ; but the 
Federals were occupied all day with their mournful 
task, and had not half finished when darkness put 
an end to their operations. The approaching night 
brought with it a heavy storm and rain, and we 
were wet to the skin and shiverino^ with cold when 
at a late hour we returned to headquarters. Stuart 
was in a very bad humour, and entertained no hope 
of a renewal of the fight the following day. " These 
Yankees," he said, " have always some underhand 
trick when they send a flag of truce, and I fear they 
will be off before daylight." This suspicion proved 



CAPTURE OF A YANKEE BAND. 319 

to be only too true. The next morning, when on 
our way to Hamilton's Crossing, we met a courier 
riding full gallop, who reported that the whole of 
the Federal army had disappeared from our side of 
the river. 

The heavy rains and storm which raged all night 
favoured their enterprise. General Burnside had 
managed to remove his whole army over the three 
pontoon-bridges to the Stafford side ; and his retreat 
was effected with such consummate skill, that our 
pickets had not the slightest knowledge of the move- 
ment until daybreak showed them that the whole of 
the large Yankee army, with all the artillery and 
waggon -trains, had disappeared from their front. 
On our arrival at the battle-field we found our men 
scattered over the plain, busy burying the dead, 
large numbers of which were still lying about. 
Eeaching a place where about 300 corpses had been ^ , 
collected to be lodged in one common grave, some of 
our men showed a number of small torpedoes, which "^ 
they informed us had been set in large numbers by 
the enemy all over the field. Fortunately the charge 
of powder with which these infernal machines were 
prepared had been so damped Ty the heavy rain that 
they did not explode, and by this faihire a large \ r 
number of our men were saved from destruction. ^ 
Soon afterwards we were much amused by lighting 
upon the entire band of a Yankee infantry regiment, 
who, having encamped at some distance from their 
troops, had been quite forsaken, and were still fast 
asleep when they were taken prisoners to the last 
man by our Mississippians. They seemed but little 
troubled at their fate, and cheerfully struck up the 
tunes of Dixie, to the great delight of our men, who 
meanwhile set about preparing for them whatever 
comforts our rough hospitality could afford. After 
about an hour's ride we reached Lee's Hill, where 
we found Captain Phillips again, whom I invited to 
join me in a little tour to Marye's Heights and the 



320 THE SLAUGHTER AT MAKYE'S HEIGHTS. 

field in front of tliem, the horrors of which had been 
depicted in the most vivid colours by all who had 
visited the dreadful spot. As the Federal batteries 
on the opposite side of the river were firing on every 
horseman who showed himself, I took Pelham's 
mulatto servant, Newton, who happened to be there, 
along with us, and, leaving our horses out of sight 
in his charge, we descended on foot to the plain. 
Here we met General Eansom, who had commanded 
one of the brigades on Marye's Heights which had 
sustained the principal shock of the assault ; and the 
General's polite offer to show us the battle-field, and 
give us a description of the fight, • was gratefully 
accepted. 

The sight was indeed a fearful one, and the dead 
bodies lay thicker than I had ever seen before on any 
field of battle. This was chiefly the case in front of 
the stone wall which skirts the sunken road at the 
foot of Marye's Heights. The dead were here piled 
up in heaps six or eight deep. General Eansom told 
us that our men were ordered not to commence firing 
until the enemy had approached within a distance of 
eighty yards ; but that from the moment they ad- 
vanced within this, the hostile ranks had been com- 
pletely mowed down by our volleys. The nature of 
the ground towards the town is open and flat, broken 
only by some plank fences, and dotted with a few 
wooden houses scattered here and there. All these 
objects, and even the very ground, were so thickly 
riddled with bullets that scarcely a square inch was 
without its dint ; and it became incomprehensible to 
me how even that small few of the most dashing as- 
sailants, who had run up within fifteen paces of our 
lines, could have survived this terrific fire lonsr 
enough to do so. Many of the Federal soldiers had 
found death seeking shelter in the small courtyards 
of the houses behind the wooden plank fences sur- 
rounding them, but which, of course, offered not the 
slightest protection; and heaps of the corpses of 



FRIGHTFUL SCENES ON THE FIELD. 321 

these poor fellows filled the narrow enclosures. On 
a space of ground not over two acres we counted 680 
dead bodies; and more than 1200 altogether were 
found on the small plain between the heights and 
Fredericksburg, those nearest the town having mostly 
been killed by our artillery, which had played with 
dreadful effect upon the enemy's dense columns. 
More than one-half of these dead had belonged to 
Meagher's brave Irish brigade, which was nearly an- 
nihilated during the several attacks. 

A number of the houses which we entered pre- 
sented a horrid spectacle — dead and wounded inter- 
mingled in thick masses. The latter, in a deplorable 
state from want of food and care, were cursing their 
own cause, friends, and commander-in-chief, for the 
sufferings they endured. As we walked slowly along, 
Captain Phillips suddenly pressed my arm, and, 
pointing to the body of a soldier whose head was so 
frightfully wounded that part of the brain w^as pro- 
truding, broke out with, " Great God, that man is 
still living ! " And so he was. Hearing our steps 
the unfortunate sufferer opened his glassy eyes and 
looked at us with so pitiable an expression that I 
could not for long after recall it without shuddering. 
A surgeon being close at hand, was at once called to 
the spot to render what assistance was yet possible ; 
but he pronounced the man in a dying condition, and 
observed that it was totally opposed to all medical 
experience, and could only Tdc considered in the light 
of a miracle, that a human being with such a wound 
should have lived through neaiiy sixty hours of ex- 
posure and starvation. 

In the mean time our little company had attracted 
the notice of the enemy on the other side of the river, 
and several shells had already bowled over our heads, 
when soon the firing grew so heavy, and the missiles 
struck and exploded in such increasing proximity 
to us, that we decided on getting out of range. So, 
shaking hands with General Eansom and thanking 



322 XAREOW ESCAPE OF VIZETELLY. 

him much for his kindness, we returned to the place 
where we had left our horses ; but mulatto and 
chargers had disappeared together ; and after a 
lengthened search, we had nearly made up our minds 
that we must return on foot, when the fugitives were 
found at a considerable distance and hidden in a 
clump of bushes, the worthy Newton still trembling, 
and completely " demoralised " with the fright in- 
spired by some of the shells which, fired too high, 
had exploded in his neighbourhood and induced his 
rapid retreat. 

On our return to Lee's Hill we found a great num- 
ber of the generals assembled around our Com- 
mander-in-Chief, all extremely chagrined that the 
Federals should have succeeded in so cleverly mak- 
ing their escape. The tranquillity in Avhich the day 
passed off was interrupted only by the firing from 
the enemy's batteries, which, by the way, very nearly 
proved fatal to our friend Vizetelly. In the town of 
Fredericksburg a great many Yankees had been 
found straggling and lurking in the houses, either 
with a view to desertion, or too overpowered by the 
liquor they had stolen to leave with their army; and 
a body of those captives marching along the turn- 
pike road escorted by a detachment of our soldiers, 
\ attracted the curiosity of Mr Vizetelly, who immedi- 
\ ately rode down to meet them. Having reached the 
(column, he had just entered into conversation with 
; |a corporal from a South Carolina regiment who com- 
1 'ananded the detachment, when the hostile batteries, 
i mistaking their own men for enemies, opened fire, 
and one of their very first shells, passing quite close 
to our friend, tore tlie head of the poor fellow with 
whom he was talking completely off his shoulders, 
scattering pieces of skull and brains in every direc- 
tion. Horror-stricken at this sad incident, and hav- 
ing no call of duty to remain, the artist at once put 
spurs into his charger's flanks, and galloped off as 
fast as the noble steed could carry him. But the 



BURIAL OP THE DEAD RESUMED. 323 

hostile gunners seemed to take particular pleasure 
in aiming at the flying horseman, and ever closer 
and closer flew the unpleasant missiles about his 
ears, while we who from Lee's Hill were spectators 
of the unenviable position in which our guest was 
placed, were for some time seriously alarmed that 
we should never again hear his merry laugh and 
joyous songs; but at last he reached us in safety, 
though much exhausted, and was received with loud 
cheering in our midst. 

During the afternoon General Burnside renewed 
his request for the burial of the dead, which was at 
once granted; and the Federal troops destined to 
this duty, having crossed the Eappahannock in pon- 
toons, went to work without delay. Having been 
again ordered to assist in the superintendence of the 
proceedings, I was painfully shocked at the inevitably 
rough manner in which the Yankee soldiers treated 
the dead bodies of their comrades. Not far from 
Marye's Heights existed a hole of considerable 
dimensions, which had once been an ice-house ; and 
in order to spare time and labour, this had been 
selected by the Federal officers to serve as a large 
common grave, not less than 800 of their men being 
buried in it. The bodies of these poor fellows, strip- 
ped nearly naked, were gathered in huge mounds 
around the pit, and tumbled neck and heels into it; 
the dull " thud " of corpse falling on corpse coming 
up from the depths of the hole until the solid mass 
of human flesh reached near the surface, when a 
covering of logs, chalk, and mud closed the mouth of 
this vast and awful tomb. 

On my return to Lee's Hill I saw President 
Davis and Governor Letcher with our Commander. 
They had come from Eichmond to congratulate him 
and the troops under him on their success, and had 
been greeted all along the lines with the utmost en- 
thusiasm. It was late at night when we returned 
to headquarters, where I stretched my weary limbs 



324 QUIET CAMP LIFE. 

along my blankets, intensely soothed with the balmy 
reflection that I was abgut to enjoy a long spell of 
rest for my body, and relief for my mind from the 
racking anxiety and emotion with which the too 
familiar but never familiarised sight of death and 
destruction had so long and deeply affected it. 



CHAPTEE XVIII. 

QUIET CAMP LIFE — THE ARMY IN WINTER QUARTERS — A VISIT 
TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RAPPAHANNOCK — STUART'S 
EXPEDITION TO DUMFRIES — CHRISTMAS IN CAMP — PUR- 
CHASE OF A CARRIAGE AND HORSES— ENGLISH VISITORS. 

j^EiTHER the thunder of cannon nor the sound of 
the bugle disturbed our peaceful slumbers on the 
morning of the 17th, and the sun stood high in the 
firmament when General Stuart's clear ringing voice 
assembled us again round the large common break- 
fast-table in his roomy tent. During the forenoon 
we had the pleasure of welcoming Mr Lawley and 
Captain Wynne among us, the latter of whom, a 
comrade and comiyagnon de voyage of Captain Phil- 
lips, had been detained in Eichmond through illness. 
Amid his sufferings, he had eagerly listened to the 
rumours of the battle which had been fought and was 
expected to continue, and he had now hastened, 
though too late, to the sceno of action. Both gentle- 
men expressed their sincere regret to have come a 
day after the fair, and envied very much Captain 
Phillips, whose better fortune had procured him the 
magnificent spectacle of the great conflict. Our new 
guests had brought with them from Eichmond a case 
of champagne as a present to the officers of the Staff, 
although the General himself never took anything 



OUR LOST CASE OF CHAMPAGNE. 325 

stronger than water ; but finding no conveyance at 
Hamilton's Crossing Station, they had, as ill luck 
would have it, been obliged to leave the precious 
burthen there under charge of a South Carolina ser- 
geant, acting as hospital steward near that halting- 
place. 

The following day Captain Wynne and Lawley 
started, accompanied by several members of our mili- 
tary family, for a ride over the battle-field, I my- 
self undertaking an expedition after the anxiously 
coveted case of champagne; for although I enter- 
tained but slight hope of its having escaped the 
attention of the soldiers, I considered that there was 
a bare possibility of recovery, sufiicient to make it 
worth while to risk the trouble in so valuable a cause. 
Alas ! my worst fears were destined to be realised. 
Not a vestige of the case or of the faithless sergeant 
to whose keeping it had been trusted could I light 
on, and I had to return all chapfallen from my vain 
errand, and announce to my comrades that they must 
make the best of water and good spirits as a substi- 
tute for the eff"ervescent stimulant; and, indeed, so 
cheerily were we all disposed, that our indignation 
soon evaporated. Much to our sorrow, on the follow- 
ing day all our guests deserted us, and we were left 
to the unrelieved routine of camp life in all its dull 
and listless monotony. The bad weather, moreover, 
setting in with full force, the campaign might be re- 
garded as completely at an end for the next two or 
three months ; and as the hostile army was reported 
to have gone into winter quarters, our own soon fol- 
lowed the example. 

The stroke of many axes rang through the sur- 
rounding forests and oak copses, and pine thickets 
dissolved from the view to give place to complete 
little towns of huts and log-houses, provided with 
comfortable fireplaces, from whose gigantic chimneys 
curled upwards gracefully and cheerily into the 
crisp winter air many a column of pale-blue smoke. 



326 SUFFERINGS OF OUR ANIMALS. 

Longstreet's corps remained opposite Fredericksburg 
and its immediate neighbourhood; Jackson's was 
stationed half-way between that place and Port 
Eoyal ; and Stonewall himself had fixed his head- 
quarters about twelve miles from us, near the well- 
known plantation of the Corbyn family, called 
Moss-Neck. The weather became now every day 
worse, snow-storms alternating with rains and severe 
frosts ; and if officers and men were tolerably well 
off under the circumstances, it was not so with our 
poor beasts, whose condition, from want of food, ex- 
posure, and vermin, was pitiable indeed. The sheds 
and stables, improvised for them out of logs and 
pine-branches, offered but scant protection against 
the battering of wind, rain, and snow, which assailed 
them on all sides, penetrating through the lightly- 
thatched roofs, and the wretched quadrupeds stood 
for the most part knee-deep in water or slush. Ere 
long a disease bred out of this unhappy state of 
things showed itself, and spread rapidly throughout 
the camp, our cavalry and artillery losing more than 
one-fourth of their horses and mules. The symp- 
toms of the malady became first visible just above 
the hoof, whence it gradually extended, eventually 
involving the entire limb. We received for forage a 
certain amount of Indian corn, which was supplied 
quite regularly ; but hay and straw grew every day 
more scarce, and at last failed us altogether. I had 
in more opulent times prepared for myself a most 
luxurious couch of hay, on which I slept softly, as 
on a bed of eider-down ; but the lamentations of my 
negro over the scarcity of " long forage," and, still 
more, the woeful aspect of my animals, soon prevailed 
on me to abandon this luxury, and lay the sacrifice 
in their troughs, to be hungrily devoured by my 
poor beasts. The mules withstood the effects of 
scarce fodder, cold, and wet, better than did the 
horses. Especially was this exhibited in the case of 
my grey mule Kitt, for in spite of hard times she 



PRIENDLY INTERCHANGE BETWEEN THE ENEMIES. 327 

looked as gay and sleek as ever ; but it must be 
added that she displayed an omnivorous appetite. 
All was fodder to her impartial palate, from pine- 
leaves to scraps of leather, and even the blankets 
with which I covered my horses were not safe from 
her voracity. 

On the 21st we had a visit from Custis Lee, son 
of our Commander-in-Chief, and aide-de-camp to 
President Davis, who wished to inspect the battle- 
field and the town of Fredericksburg ; and at his 
request General Stuart and I gladly accompanied 
him on the expedition. I had thus the first direct 
opportunity presented to me of leisurely inspecting 
the rnins of poor Fredericksburg, which, with its 
shattered houses, streets ript open, and demolished 
churches, impressed me sadly enough. The inhabi- 
tants had nearly all deserted the place, the only 
visible exceptions being here and there a wretched 
pauper or aged negro, to whom no refuge elsewhere 
w^as open, creeping noiselessly along the silent street. 
The brave soldiers of Barksdale's brigade, however, 
who had so nobly resisted the first attempt of the 
enemy to cross the river, were re-established in the 
town, and comfortably installed in several of the 
large buildings now abandoned. The firing of the 
pickets having once more ceased, a network of friendly 
relations had begun again to connect them, and an 
interchange of communications also of the neces- 
saries of life recommenced. To carry on these the 
most ingenious devices were resorted to, at some of 
which I was vastly amused. On reaching the river 
we beheld quite a little fleet of small boats, from 
three to four feet in length, under full sail, with 
flying pennants, crossing backwards and forwards 
between the shores of the river, conveying tobacco 
and Eichmond newspapers over to the Stafford side, 
and returning loaded in exchange with sugar and 
coff'ee and Northern journals. The diminutive craft 
w^ere handled with considerable nautical skill, and 



328 A VISIT TO THE FEDERAL CAMP. 

rudder and sails set so deftly to wind and stream, 
that they always unerringly landed at the exact 
point of destination. Some days afterwards, this 
free-trade movement having ontpassed the limits 
which were judged safe or convenient, a sudden em- 
bargo, in the shape of a severe and stringent order, 
was put upon the friendly traffic of foe with foe, to 
the mutual and unmitigated disgust of both sides. 

Next day, under favour of a flag of truce sent by 
the Federals to negotiate an exchange of prisoners, I 
received a message from Baron H., an ex-officer of 
the Prussian army then serving on Burnside's Staff, 
appointing a rendezvous at Fredericksburg. Although 
I set off at once, I found on reaching the town that 
H., impatient of waiting, or giving me up, had re- 
turned to the other side of the river. Vexed to have 
had my ride for nothing, I was, in no very good 
humour, turning my horse's head towards home, 
when I fell in with Major Fairfax of Longstreet's 
Staff and the officers bearing the flag of truce. After 
expressing their sympathy with my disappointment, 
they invited me over to the other side, the truce not 
having yet expired. I replied that I should not be 
justified in complying with their invitation, as I had 
not, like Major Fairfax, any business to transact, 
and should be running the risk of remaining longer 
on the Stafford side than I desired. My cautious 
scruples elicited a hearty laugh, and, pledging their 
personal honour for my safe return whenever I chose, 
they again pressed their rather extraordinary invita- 
tion in a manner that would have made it very un- 
courteous to decline. On reaching the opposite 
shore, Fairfax and I were soon surrounded by a 
circle of Federal officers profi'ering every mark of 
politeness and hospitality, the latter being manifested 
by the production of several bottles of wine and 
whisky, which were soon in brisk circulation. 
Meantime a number of orderlies had been despatched 
in search of H. ; but after an hour of fruitless wait- 



RETURN OF GENERAL HAMPTON. 329 

iiig I returned with Fairfax, first emptying, as we 
took leave of our temporary hosts, a last cup to the 
speedy restoration of peace. On arriving at head- 
quarters I was greeted with a good scolding from 
Stuart for my escapade ; an old fox, he said, should 
never under any circumstances trust his head in the 
lion's mouth. 

On the 23d we had the pleasure of welcoming 
once more among us General Hampton, the distant 
position of whose brigade on the Eappahannock had 
rendered him a rare visitor of late ; but as his absence 
had been well occupied, his enterprise and activity 
having inflicted considerable damage on the enemy, 
it was the less to be regretted. Among his achieve- 
ments was a raid across the river towards the end of 
November, with a small detachment of his brigade, 
when he surrounded and took prisoners to a man 
two squadrons of a Pennsylvanian cavalry regiment. 
Twice again, in December, he made similar expedi- 
tions to the rear of the Federals with equal success, 
capturing on the last occasion a large waggon-train 
laden with forage, provisions, and sutlers' stores, out 
of the latter of which he now" brought us a quantity 
of luxuries as a Christmas present. 

As General Hampton had not yet visited the 
battle-field, I had much pleasure in tendering my 
services as his guide and companion on the occasion, 
and we did not return from the long rambling ride 
we took over the ground till late in the evening. On 
the following day arrived Mrs Stuart from Eichmond, 
taking up her residence at a plantation not more 
than half a mile from headquarters, in the hope of 
spending Christmas-day with her husband, but un- 
fortunately without taking into her reckoning the 
extreme uncertainty of the General's movements, al- 
ways, moreover, kept secret by him till the very last 
moment. Christmas -eve had been spent in calm 
unsuspicious enjoyment, amidst long gossips over old 
times and consultations on the preparations of the 



330 PKEPARATIONS FOR A EAID ON THE ENEMY. 

next day's festive fare; and we were slumbering 
peacefully in the early niorning, when we were sud- 
denly roused , by the sound of the bugle. To my 
intense astonishment I learned from General Stuart 
that in an hour he w^ould start on a wide-ranQfinf:^ 
raid in the rear of the Federal army. With bitter 
chagrin I found my poor horses reduced, by cold and 
hunger, to so miserable a condition that not one was 
fit for duty ; two of them, indeed, perished within 
the next few days. All my efforts to procure a new 
charger failed, so scarce had horses become, and I 
had the mortification of seeing the General and those 
few of my comrades who happened to be in better 
plight than myself ride off without me to join the 
regiments, which had already, from an early hour, 
received marching orders. As usual, however, I did 
not allow my discomfiture to affect me long, and my 
vexed spirit soon yielded to the consolation of an 
excellent " egg-nogg " * and a roast turkey, which 
formed the mainstay of a dinner to which I had been 
invited by my friend Bearing, of the artillery. En- 
camped with his battery close to headquarters, in a 
dense pine thicket, he had, with the help of his 
cannoneers, built himself the snuggest little log-hut 
imaginable ; and I was entirely restored to equanim- 
ity, after dinner, when I heard from my host that 
Major M., Longstreet's quartermaster, had two horses 
for sale, one of which would exactly suit my purpose. 
Not to let slip so good an opportunity of a remount, 
I started, the first thing in the morning, for j\Iajor 
M.'s camp, where I found that, though 1 had been . 

* Egg-nogg is an American drink which chiefly comes into 
notice at Christmas time, and in the good old days scarcely a 
house in Virginia was without a large bowl of this beverage 
standing in the hall on Christmas-day from morning till night for 
all to help themselves at. It consists of eggs beaten up with 
sugar, milk, and the indispensable ingredient of whisky or brandy. 
It is very agreeable to the taste, and has the dangerous property 
of concealing its strength under the guise of an innocent softness 
of savour, thus exerting its intoxicating influence on the inexperi- 
enced before the least suspicion is aroused. 



PURCHASE OF A CARRIAGE AND PAIR. 331 

quite correctly informed, my purchase would be sad- 
dled with onerous and unexpected conditions. The 
horses were not to be sold separate ; but, more than 
this, a lumbering family carriage was to go with 
them into the bargain. The conditions were abso- 
lute, both coach and horses having belonged to a 
friend of the quartermaster, who, holding a planta- 
tion within the lines of the enemy, had, in whole- 
some fear of Yankee depredators, sent him the entire 
equipage. It was certainly an odd thing for a cavalry 
officer in the field to become owner of a stately family 
coach; nevertheless, I had no alternative, and so, 
having paid the comparatively cheap sum of 800 
dollars for the whole concern, I drove off with my 
bargain. The laughter and wonderment which 
greeted my appearance at headquarters, gravely 
tooling my carriage and pair up to my tent, may be 
easily conceived. 

This setting up of my carriage became an inex- 
haustible source of joking and bantering, to which I 
had to submit with the best grace I could ; never 
did jest wear so well or so long ; it outlasted by a 
long span the poor old carriage, its parent, which, 
after serving on many a merry expedition with the 
young ladies of the neighbourhood, gradually suc- 
cumbed to the shocks of the rough roads and 'cross- 
country jaunts ; and in a few weeks its frame had, 
bit by bit, resolved itself into its component parts. 
Only a heap of ruins at my tent door, and the 
cushions, which served me excellently for pillows, 
remained as outward and visible tokens of its exist- 
ence. But the joke lived still, and even General 
Lee, by no means addicted to the jocular "vein, would 
frequently, on parade or in the battle-field, come out 
with, " Major, where's your carriage ? " and once, in 
the midst of fighting, he exclaimed, " If we only had 
your carriage, what a splendid opportunity to charge 
the enemy with it ! " 

On the evening of the same day I mounted my 



332 VISIT TO LONGSTEEET'S HEADQUARTERS. 

grey mule Kitt, the steed I generally selected for 
night excursions such as that I was bent on, and 
paid a visit to Longstreet's headquarters, distant not 
more than a mile and a half. With the officers of 
his Staff, as with the General himself, I was on 
excellent terms, and we used to assemble in a large 
tent which Major Latrobe, Major Fairfax, and Cap- 
tain Eodgers occupied together, or else in a large 
hospital -tent in which the three doctors of the 
Staff — Cullen, Barksdale, and Maury — chummed 
together with a most harmonious result. The mess 
arrangements at Longstreet's headquarters were al- 
ways more satisfactorily ordered than those of our 
own, especially in the matter of fluids, to which 
Stuart objected altogether, while I far from shared 
his aversion; so that, whenever I felt disposed to 
spend a sociable evening where the genial glass was 
not excluded, I took refuge with these cheerful com- 
panions, from whom I knew I could always reckon 
on a warm welcome. 

Quickly did these pleasant evenings pass away, as 
we related the incidents by flood and field within 
our experience, or occasionally broke into song. In 
the latter respect Captain Eodgers was our chief 
performer; and when he was in thorough good- 
humour, he would enliven us with reminiscences of 
his stay among the Mormons, intersj)ersed with select 
specimens of Brigham Young's psalmody. Whenever 
Latrobe's party fell short of liquor, the doctors were 
sure to be in a condition to supply the void ; and 
when Kitt was sent over to them, with a polite 
invitation, it w^as generally answered by the simul- 
taneous appearance of the three doctors in person, 
mounted one behind the other on the brave little 
mule, and bringing along wdth them the necessary 
materials for our social enjoyment. My return from 
these camp assemblies was invariably at an advanced 
hour of the night, and often did I owe my safe ar- 
rival at camp to Kitt's wonderful knowledge of the 



ARRIVAL OF CHRISTMAS STORES. 333 

road. Once at my tent door, I would just relieve 
her of saddle and bridle, and let her gallop to the 
stable, whence the welcoming neigh of my black 
horse would soon after apprise me of the safe arrival 
of his intimate friend. 

We were much cheered on the following day by 
the happy return of the waggons which had been 
despatched in charge of couriers to Loudon County 
for provisions to furnish forth our Christmas dinner. 
The presence of some scouting Yankee cavalry on the 
road had delayed our messengers; but though too 
late to do honour to the Christian feast, not the less 
welcome were the good things they had brought. 
Among these were thirty dozen eggs, sweet potatoes 
and butter in abundance, and some score of turkeys. 
These last-named visitors to our camp were the ob- 
ject of the most polite attentions. In a few hours a 
magnificent mansion, built of small pine-trees and 
brushwood, was prepared for them by the united 
efforts of officers, couriers, and negroes, whose zeal 
was worthy of the occasion. Stuart's mulatto servant. 
Bob, was appointed major-domo and body-guard of 
the household and its inmates — an office which he 
discharged with no less skill than gallantry, when 
later the enterprising Texans encamped in our neigh- 
bourhood organised a regular succession of nightly 
marauding expeditions for the capture of our i-arcB aves. 

The replenishment of our stock of provisions which 
had been thus effected appeared the more timely and 
valuable when, the same evening, we learned by tele- 
gram that Lawley would arrive the following day with 
two of his countrymen, the Marquess of Hartington 
and Colonel Leslie, both members of the British Par- 
liament, on a voyage of inquiry, who intended to 
honour us with a visit. The preparations for their 
reception were rapidly made with that alacrity which 
distinguishes the hospitality of soldiers in camp, 
where all vie with each other in sacrificing their 
own comforts to render the entertainment of a visi- 



334 FRESH ENGLISH VISITORS. 

tor as agreeable as possible. I myself, liaving a large 
round Sibley tent, which, besides an ample fireplace, 
contained the luxury of a small iron stove, gave it up 
to be tenanted by the new-comers, and emigrated to 
a smaller one in which I had scarcely room to turn. 
Others contributed blankets, of which an abundance 
was forthcoming. A table and camp-stool were sup- 
plied, and the equipments even included a small 
looking-glass, which dangled from the tent -pole, 
giving altogether, with the rest of the arrangements, 
an air of luxury and comfort which was quite palatial. 

It was close upon dinner-time when our visitors 
made their appearance ; and after their luggage was 
stowed in safety, and they had been shown into their 
temporary domicile, we had the pleasure of conduct- 
ing them to their place at the long camp dinner- 
table, the presence on which of a fat turkey and some 
other dainties evidently created surprise, and exceeded 
the expectations of our guests as to the manner in 
which they were destined to fare. We had made 
every effort to procure some liquor for the occasion, 
but all we succeeded in getting was a large barrel of 
blackberry wine, captured by our cavalry pickets. 
Whatever was thought by our visitors of this ex- 
traordinary beverage, they were polite enough to 
pronounce it excellent. Lawley being already ac- 
quainted with the members of the Staff, we soon 
became on good terms with his two friends, and the 
night was far on ere we separated. 

The moment we had finished breakfast next morn- 
ing our horses were in readiness, and we all started 
for a ride to Fredericksburg, and over the battle-field, 
which presented itself to the astonished eyes of our 
Enoiish friends still stained with blood, and with the 
marks still fresh, in all their horror, of the past work 
of desolation and destruction. The day wound up 
with a great Fandango in Stuart's roomy tent, en- 
livened with Sweeney's songs and banjo-playing to 
negro dances ; and a monster egg-nogg was prepared, 



%4^ 



THEIR VISIT TO GENERAL JACKSON. 335 



in the mixing of which even Lord Hartington and 
Colonel Leslie lent their inexperienced hands in beat- 
ing up the eggs — a part of the preparation, by the 
way, which requires no little skill, and is, moreover, 
intensely laborious ; and when, after several hours 
of merriment, we separated at a late hour, both of 
them agreed that camp life was, after all, not so un- 
endurable. 

On the morning of ^the 30th our guests paid a visit 
to General Lee, where I joined them, and we rode off 
together to Moss-Neck, Jackson's headquarters, a dis- 
tance, as has been mentioned, of twelve miles. We 
arrived about midday, and were received in a small 
pavilion attached to the main building, where the 
General had been prevailed upon, at the urgent re- 
quest of the owner, to take up his abode. Old Stone- 
w^all so fascinated his English visitors by his kind 
and pleasant manners and the resources of his con- 
versation, that, quite against their previous inten- 
tions, they accepted his invitation to dinner, and 
instead of a visit of twenty minutes, many hours 
were spent under the General's roof — hours that sped 
so rapidly, that when Lawley bethought himself to 
look at his watch, it was discovered to be very near 
the hour when we were all expected back to supper 
with General Lee. Away we started at full gallop ; 
but though our horses were urged to their topmost 
speed, we reached headquarters far behind our time, 
and the General had long since taken his simple 
meal. To Lawley's excuses for our unintentional 
unpoliteness he laughingly replied, " Gentlemen, I 
hope Jackson has given you a good dinner, and if so, 
I am very glad things have turned out as they have, 
for I had given the invitation without knowing the 
poor state of my mess provisions, and should scarcely 
have been able to offer you anything." 

The 31st was quietly spent at headquarters in the 
discharge of our camp duties and the enjoyment of 
the bright warm sunshine with which for the space 



336 RETUEN OF STUAET. 

of a few days the winter in Virginia is favoured. 
Our guests accommodated themselves with admirable 
facility and good-humour to the discomforts of a 
soldier's life, and insisted that w^e should not make 
any change for them in our ordinary routine, but let 
them fare exactly as the rest. Accordingly Lord 
Hartington and Lawdey might at one time be seen, 
their sleeves rolled up, busily washing their pocket- 
handkerchiefs, and not far off Colonel Leslie ener- 
getically at work with a huge pole beating up a heap 
of mud to a proper temper for the construction of a 
new chimney to Major Titzhugh's tent. The day 
following had been fixed on by our English friends 
for their departure, but as we had good reason to ex- 
pect Stuart's immediate return, they yielded to our 
persuasions and consented to await his arrival, 
accepting meanwhile an invitation to General Jenkins 
of South Carolina, where we had an excellent dinner, 
and enjoyed a very pleasant evening listening to the 
music of one of the regimental bands, considered the 
best in the whole army. On returning at a late hour 
to our headquarters we found to our great delight 
that Stuart had come back from his raid, which had 
proved most successful, and resulted in the capture 
of numerous prisoners and a large amount of booty. 
Accordingly the General was in buoyant spirits, and 
gave us a most entertaining account of the entire 
expedition. 

He had as usual operated far in the rear of the 
Yankees, had damaged their communications, and 
contrived, moreover, to throw a great part of the 
army and the generals sent in pursuit of him into a 
state of utter confusion by intercepting their tele- 
graphic messages, and answering them himself in a 
manner that scattered his eager pursuers in opposite 
directions all over the country. General Stuart was 
always accompanied by his own telegraph operator, 
who had no difficulty in connecting his portable in- 
strument at any point of the wires, and could thus 



EESULTS OF HIS RAID. 337 

read off and reply to the messages in transitu. One 
of these, on the occasion in question, was addressed 
to the Quartermaster-General, who had just sent off 
to the Federal army a large number of mules, all of 
which had fallen into the hands of Stuart. Accord- 
ingly, the following message was despatched to this 
official : — 

" I am much satisfied with the transport of mules 
lately sent, which I have taken possession of, and 
ask you to send me soon a new supply. 

" J. E. B. Stuart." 

The excitement and consternation this produced 
in the l^orthern capital may be imagined. But be- 
sides these bloodless devices there had been a good 
deal of hard fighting in the course of this expedition, 
and we had to mourn, among others, the loss of the 
gallant Captain Bullock, whose name has already 
occurred in these Memoirs. While being carried 
with a severe wound from the field by one of his 
friends, a second shot struck him and ended his life. 
The time had now come when the departure of our 
friends could no longer be delayed, and they took 
leave of us the following morning, the carriage I had 
purchased coming into requisition to drive them over 
(which I did with my own hands) to the station at 
Hamilton's Crossing. 



CHAPTEPt XIX. 

LIFE IN CAMP DURING JANUARY AND FEBRUARY — AN ENGLISH 
VISITOR — RIDE TO A WEDDING — A NEW ENGLISH VISITOR 
— A FORTNIGHT AT CULPEPPER COURT-HOUSE — FIGHT AT 
KELLEY's ford — PELHAM'S death and FUNERAL HONOURS 
IN RICHMOND — BREAKING-UP OF WINTER QUARTERS. 

With the iN'ew Year set in a continuance of bad 
weather. The cold increased, snow and damp alter- 

Y 



338 WRETCHED STATE OF OUR COMMISSARIAT. 

nated in rapid succession, and our poor animals 
continued exposed to tlie severest hardships. As 
for my own plight, I had returned to my large tent, 
where I managed by a variety of ingenious shifts, 
the offspring of hard necessity, to surround myself 
with not a few practical comforts. A planked floor 
was laid down, and over it was spread the rough 
resemblance of a carpet in the shape of a large square 
of old canvass ; a packing-case which had served for 
the despatch of saddlery from the ordnance depart- 
ment did duty very efficiently for a bedstead ; and 
with an empty whisky-cask, which, by sawing down 
on one side to within a foot of the floor, stuffing the 
bottom with blankets, and leaving only so much of 
the upper portion as would comfortably support the 
back, became a capital easy-chair, my assemblage of 
" sticks" was by no means contemptible. With the 
inward man, however, matters began to assume a 
very unsatisfactory condition. While the Christmas 
provision could be still eked out, we got on well 
enough, though at the cost of many an alarm sounded 
by the vigilant Bob, and many a hurried night-chase 
given to the Texan marauders to preserve the turkeys, 
while any yet survived, to our own use. But when 
the last of these interesting animals had in due turn 
adorned the mess-table, the dearth of food which 
thereafter ensued and continued was most painfully 
felt by officers and men. The almost invariable 
message with which our negroes returned from the 
commissary was, "Nothing to be had;" and when 
by an extraordinary chance they were enabled to 
bring back some sort of supplies, these consisted of 
beef so tough or bacon so rancid that onl}^ the sharp- 
est pangs of hunger could induce a human being to 
tackle it as food. By using bullets cut into small 
pieces as a substitute for shot, I managed to bring 
down with my gun a number of small birds, such as 
blackbirds, robins, and sparrows, and so to purvey a 
certain modicum of fresli animal food, but so limited 

^^- . >aW.s- I ^'' - '\^^ 

-1... unA\. DOiM'l^v'i \VvVA./f^\- 



A KAPACIOUS PLANTER AND HIS SHEEP. 339 

that there was never enough to satisfy the whole 
company ; and often would four or five small birds 
appear at our long mess-table, to be divided among 
twelve hungry men, for any one of whom they would 
have been but a scanty meal. On one occasion a 
windfall came to us from the Lower Eappahannock 
(called the Tappahannock), in the shape of a waggon- 
load of oysters. These we fed on with great relish 
for a few days; but, being destitute of salt, pepper, 
or butter, or any condiment that might replace them, 
they soon palled, and a delicacy which would have 
been prized, under other circumstances, beyond all 
expression, became so nauseous that the very sight 
of an oyster turned us sick. 

It was a tantalising fact, in the midst of our 
famine, to know that a flock of sheep existed in the 
neighbourhood, the property of an old planter, who, 
however, obstinately refused to part with one of 
them except at the most exorbitant price. No en- 
treaties in the world could induce the obdurate old 
gentleman to abate his demands ; and the conse- 
quence was, that he ultimately suffered for his greed 
in the manner we are about to relate. Day after day 
these sheep would be found straying about our camp, 
attracted by the fodder of our horses, which was not 
a little diminished by their felonious nibblings. We 
had the greatest trouble to prevent these depreda- 
tions ; and, moreover, the sight to our hungry eyes 
of fat loins enriched at our expense, but on which 
we were prohibited to feed, added insult to injury. 
After sending several warnings to the old flockmas- 
ter, our couriers hit upon a cunning device, which 
should at once rid them of a nuisance and procure 
them delicious mutton. Deep trenches were dug 
wherever the sheep were in the habit of trespassing, 
ostensibly for the protection of our provender ; and 
these, being covered with pine branches and straw, 
became so many pitfalls into which the poor animals 
tumbled, rolling over and over, and seldom escaping 



340 INVITATION TO A WEDDING. 

without such injuries as necessitated their immediate 
slaughter. The accident was then notified, not with- 
out bitter complaints, to the proprietor, who, having 
himself no use for the entire carcass, would make the 
best of the matter by selling us the greater part of 
the meat ; and this mode of purveying mutton lasted 
till the old planter was persuaded to take better care 
of his flock. 

In spite of deficient food, scanty supply of blan- 
kets, and extreme scarcity of shoe-leather, in the 
midst of the most trying weather, the good spirits 
of the army were unabated. Joyous sounds of song 
and laughter broke forth continuously from amidst tlie 
camps, and the bands of all the different regiments 
played merrily every evening. A theatre even was 
erected, where the performances of negro minstrels 
and other entertainments afforded immense delight 
to officers and men, and attracted all the young 
ladies of the neighbourhood. About the middle of 
the month some interruption to the usual monoton- 
ous routine of our camp was made by the visit of 
Colonel Bramston, of the battalion of Grenadier 
Guards stationed in Canada, with whom I, with 
great pleasure, shared the accommodation of my 
tent. The shortness of his furlough, however, de- 
prived us of his presence a few days after his arrival. 
Just at this time a pressing invitation came to the 
General and myself from our friends at Dundee, in 
Hanover County, where Dr P.'s eldest daughter w^as 
to be married to Dr Fontaine, one of our comrades 
then acting as surgeon to Fitz Lee's brigade. That 
we could accept it seemed impossible; for on the 
very same day a review of William Lee's command 
was ordered to take place near ]\Ioss-Neck, Jack- 
son's headquarters, and the distance thence to our 
friend's house w^as not less than five-and-forty miles. 
iSTevertheless, to leave still a chance open, and hoping 
I might persuade Stuart to undertake the ride, I sent 
a courier wdth a relay of horses to Bowling-Green, a 



OUK RECEPTION AT IT. 341 

village about half-way between Moss-Neck and the 
spot we were to reach. It seemed as if the review 
would never be over ; hour after hour flitted by, till 
at last it was a quarter to three by the time all was 
over, when Stuart rode over to me, and called out 
with a laugh, "Well, Von ! how about the wedding? 
Shall we go V Without hesitation I declared myself 
ready, only observing that as the wedding ceremony 
was appointed at seven o'clock we should have some 
difficulty in being present. " Oh, that's nothing," 
rejoined the General — ''let's be off." And away we 
started at the rate of ten miles an hour. Bowling- 
Green was reached in capital time, where we mounted 
our relays; and before the clock struck the ap- 
pointed hour of seven we rode through the gate of 
the hospitable Dundee. 

A joyful and most demonstrative reception awaited 
us, for our arrival had been given up ; and though 
our high riding-boots covered with mud, and splashed 
uniforms, presented a contrast to the elegant dresses 
of the ladies and the correct costumes of the gentle- 
men, the favour with which we were regarded was 
none the less marked. Stuart was in his element, 
and the gayest of the gay. When the ceremony was 
over we amused ourselves with music, songs, and 
tableaux vivants. In one of the latter I had the 
honour of performing a prominent part in conjunc- 
tion with a very pretty young lady. Miss Antoinette 
P., with whom it was my pleasing office to form a 
group imitating the coat of arms of the State of Vir- 
ginia, bearing the motto, Sic semper tyrannis, which 
the soldiers translated, " Take your foot off my neck," 
from the action of the principal figure in the group 
in question, representing Liberty, who, with a lance 
in her right hand, is standing over the conquered and 
prostrate tyrant, and apparently trampling on him 
with her heel. To play the part of the poor tyi^ant 
who is suffering this ill-treatment, as it was my lot 
to do, would, I confess, under ordinary circumstances, 



342 A TABLEAU VIVANT. 

offer but little gratification even to the most humbly 
disposed ; but when the avenging goddess of Liberty 
is beautiful, and spurns you with a foot of such 
small proportions as in this case, the position of the 
conquered party is one of comparative triumph and 
felicity. Our performance gave as much satisfaction 
to the spectators as it certainly did to myself; and 
as for the General, his enthusiasm appeared excessive, 
for he insisted on having the tableau repeated several 
times ; but it turned out that this was pure benevo- 
lence towards me, for he rallied me afterwards, saying 
he was sure I wanted to be sic semper. At last 
daylight streaming through the jalousies gave the 
signal for our party to break up, and seek the rest of 
which I myself felt in extreme want. 

Doleful in my ears was the sound of Stuart's voice 
ordering our horses, and welcome was the rain which 
soon after poured down in torrents and caused Stuart's 
iron will to give way and yield to the urgent solicita- 
tions of our host to remain through the day, which, 
gloomy as it continued outside, did not damp the 
gaiety with which within doors the hours were wiled 
away till deep in the night, when we took leave of 
the company, and just as they were retiring comfort- 
ably to rest, set off on our long ride through the 
dark, chill, rainy morning. About half-way home 
we were met by a courier with a message informing 
us that the enemy had been making serious demon- 
strations on the river between Fredericksburg and 
Port Eoyal ; so, urging our steeds to a quicker pace, 
Ave made all haste to gain headquarters, and it was 
still quite early in the morning when, having reached 
our destination, we found that the heavy rain had 
conveniently impeded the movements and altered 
the intention of the Yankees, among whom all again 
was quiet. 

Towards the end of the month we received ihQ 
visit of another Englishman, Captain Bushby, who 
turned out a warm admirer of Confederate principles, 



, , ANOTHER ENGLISH VISITOR. 343 

and arstancli sympathiser with the cause] and though 
he made but a short stay with us, ere he left he had 
become a general favourite at headquarters. Captain 
Bushby had just run. the blockade into Charleston, 
after an exciting chase by the Federal cruisers, and 
could only spare a few days to look at our army and 
make acquaintance with its most conspicuous leaders, 
for several of whom he had brought very acceptable 
presents. To General Lee he presented an English 
saddle of the best make, to General Stuart a breech- 
loading carbine, while for Jackson he had provided 
himself with an india-rubber bed. For the presenta- 
tion of this last article I escorted him to Old Stone- 
wall's headquarters ; and on the ride an occasion 
befell me of astonishing my English friend and 
myself not a little, by a wonderful shot with my 
revolver, bringing down, as we galloped along, a 
turkey buzzard flying high overhead. I must con- 
fess I was vain enough to assume the air of treating 
the extraordinary success of this shot as a matter 
quite of course, whereas it was much more the re- 
sult of accident than good shooting. Jackson received 
us with all his usual affability, and was much pleased 
with the present, promising to use it regularly. 
During the conversation which ensued, Captain 
Bushby asked the General for his autograph — a 
request which was at once granted ; but in the act 
of writing, a blot fell on the paper, which was im- 
mediately thrown on the floor as useless. Bushby, 
however, picked it up and carefully treasured it in 
his pocket; and Jackson, noticing this action, said, 
with a modest smile, " Oh Captain, if you value my 
simple signature so much, I will give you a number 
of them with the greatest pleasure," and thereupon 
filled a large sheet with his sign-manual and pre- 
sented it to him. 

The condition of our horses continued to grow 
v/orse and worse, especially in Hampton's brigade, 
on which was imposed the fatiguing duty of picket- 



344 LOSSES AMOKG OUR CAVALRY HORSES. 

ing nearly forty miles of tlie Eappahannock, wi \l 
very few opportunities of procuring provisions. Ta 
consequence of this state of things, I was ordered, i: 
the commencement of February, by Stuart to procfcd 
in that direction on a tour of inspection. It was a 
mournful sight to see more than half the horses -of 
this splendid command totally unfit for duty, dead 
and dying animals lying about the camps in ail di- 
rections. One regiment had lost thirty-one horses in 
less than a week. According to the recommendation 
of my report, Fitz Lee's brigade, which for montlis 
had been having a comparatively good time, v as at 
once ordered to relieve Hampton's command ; and 
Stuart wishing personally to hold a final inspection of 
the two brigades, Pelham, Lieutenant Price, and my- 
self, were on the 17th ordered to proceed to Culpep- 
per, where the General and the rest of his Staff would 
join us next day. We set off" in the midst of a snow- 
storm, which increased in violence every hour. The 
snow ere long lay a foot deep, and the track of the 
road was soon so completely obliterated, that we 
stood in danger, in the midst of the vast wilderness 
and forest tract, which in that part of the country 
extends for many miles, of being lost altogether. At 
last, however, just as night was falling, we reached 
the house of a free negro, situated about ten miles 
from our ultimate destination. Both ourselves and 
our horses were now about equally near exhaustion, 
and further progress being out of the question, we 
determined to seek shelter in this abode until the 
morning. But the hospitality we had reckoned on 
was not granted so readily as we had anticij)ated. 
After gaining, through the open door, a glimpse of a 
comfortable interior lit up by the blaze of a huge 
wood-fire, whose friendly warmth seemed almost at 
that distance to reach our shivering limbs, what was 
our dismay at being suddenly shut out from this 
paradise, and having the door slammed in our faces, 
with the remark on the part of the black-faced pro- 



AN INHOSPITABLE NEGRO. 345 

prietor of the mansion, that he would have " nothing 
to do with no stragglers." 

Our disappointment v^^as utter, for the position we 
were thus left in was, in fact, desperate, and for some 
minutes we stood wrapt in disconsolate silence. At 
last Pelham broke out : " This won't do at all ; we 
can't possibly go on : to remain out of doors in this 
terrible weather is certain destruction ; and as we are 
under the obligation of preserving our lives as long 
as possible, for the sake of our cause and our coun- 
try, I am going to fool this stupid old nigger, and 
play a trick off on him, which I think quite pardon- 
able under the circumstances." Having by repeated 
loud knocks induced the inhospitable negro to reopen 
the door, he addressed him thus : " Mr Madden " 
(this was the man's name), " you don't know what a 
good friend of yours I am, or what you are doing 
when you are about to treat us in this way. That 
gentleman there " (pointing to me) " is the great Gene- 
ral Lee himself ; the other one is the French ambassa- 
dor just arrived from Washington " (this alluded to 
Price, who, being lately from Europe, and much bet- 
ter equipped than the rest, had rather a foreign ap- 
pearance) ; and I am a staff-officer of the General's, 
who is quite mad at being kept waiting outside so 
long after riding all this way on purpose to see you. 
In fact, if you let him stay any longer here in the 
cold, I'm afraid he'll shell your house as soon as his 
artillery comes up." The old negro was so perfectly 
staggered by this long harangue, which was uttered 
with a perfectly serious countenance, that he imme- 
diately invited us in, with all manner of excuses for 
his mistake. Our horses were soon sheltered in an 
empty stable, and such a feed of corn was laid before 
them as they had not had for a long time, while we 
dried our garments before the blazing wood-fire, our 
present sense of comfort being enhanced by anticipa- 
tions of the future raised by the savoury odours which 
reached us from the kitchen, where Mr Madden was 



346 OUR STAY AT CULPEPPEK. 

superintending in person the preparation of a repast 
suited to the distinguished rank of his guests. Pel- 
ham was delighted at the success of his diplomatic 
ruse, and went on hoaxing the old negro in the same 
strain, till nothing could persuade him that all he 
had been told was not quite true ; and though in the 
morning we endeavoured to undeceive him, and paid 
him a liberal indemnity for the stratagem, he con- 
tinued to inflate himself with a sense of his own im- 
portance at having been honoured with a visit from 
such distinguished guests. 

We reached Hampton's headquarters, near Cul- 
pepper Court-house, before noon, where we met 
Stuart ; and in the evening we all went by invitation 
to the village, where Fitz Lee's men had got up a 
negro-minstrel entertainment, and, with the assist- 
ance of Sweeney and Bob, succeeded in giving us 
a performance which would have rivalled any in 
London. Next day Stuart started for Eichmond, ac- 
companied by his Staff, leaving Pelham and myself, 
with some of our couriers, at Culpepper. We took 
up our quarters at the large Virginia Hotel, where 
we had the satisfaction of having our horses once 
more well stabled, and our own comfort cared for 
in every possible way by the stout landlady, who 
seemed bent on showing her gTatitude for some ser- 
vice we had rendered her son, a private in Fitz Lee's 
brigade. 

Culpepper Court-house is a pleasant village of 
several hundred inhabitants, and the main street, in 
which we were located, is lined with pretty villa- 
like residences. The street itself, however, was 
without pavement, and the constant snow and rain 
had soaked into the red clayey soil so completely 
that the mud was several feet deep, and the passage 
of any vehicle through it being out of the question, 
we were literally confined to our own side of the 
street. To overcome this inconvenience Pelham and 
I set to work to construct a sort of bridge, by resting 



EECALLED TO CAMP, AND LIFE THERE. 347 

planks on a number of blocks of stone, and by this 
means we were enabled to pay frequent vists to the 
house of our opposite neighbour, Mr S., where we 
were treated with great kindness, and our time 
passed pleasantly away. A constant visitor like 
ourselves, at this house was Major Eales of Eosser's 
regiment, who, being just released from a Yankee 
prison, and still on parole, relished the gaiety of 
our society with peculiar zest. The fortune of war 
played sad havock with this happy trio. Poor Pel- 
ham expired not many weeks after in the very 
house where he had so pleasantly spent his time ; 
and in a few months Eales was killed on the day 
before I myself received a wound which at the time 
was regarded as mortal. 

Although we expected Stuart back in a, few days, 
it w^as a fortnight before we heard from him, when 
we received a telegram ordering us back to head- 
quarters at Fredericksburg. We felt very sad at 
leaving pleasant old Culpepper, and the hardships 
and monotony of our camp life fell on us the more 
heavily after an interval of comparative ease and 
abundance. The remnant of February and a part 
of March dragged slowly by, so dull and eventless 
that existence was scarcely tolerable, and we looked 
forward to the commencement of spring and the re- 
opening of the campaign with intense longing. On 
the 15th of March Stuart left for Culpepper, where 
he had to appear as a witness at a court - martial ; 
and Pelham, who was very anxious to see our lady 
friends there again, accompanied him — a pleasure 
which I was not allowed to share, as the General 
had placed me in charge over the pickets at the 
different fords up the Eappahannock, from Frede- 
ricksburg to the mouth of the Eapidan. On the 
morning of the 17th, which was one of those mild, 
hazy March days that betoken the approach of 
spring, we were suddenly stirred up, in the midst of 
our lazy, listless existence, by the sound of a can- 



348 FIGHT AT KELLEY S FORD. 

nonade which seemed to come from the direction of 
United States Ford on the Eappahannock, about ten 
miles above Fredericksburg. I was in my saddle 
in a moment, fancying that the enemy was attempt- 
ing to force a passage at one of the points placed 
under my charge ; but when I had galloped in hot 
haste up to the river, I found that the firing was 
much further off, and, as it seemed to me, towards 
the mouth of the Eapidan. This supposition ]3roved 
to be correct, for when I reached my pickets I 
received a report that a heavy fight was going on in 
the direction of Culpepper Court-house, near Kelley's 
Ford, at least fifteen miles in a straight line higher 
up the river. The cannonade, which seemed grow- 
ing louder and fiercer all through the morning, 
gradually slackened as the day advanced, and in 
the evening, when I returned to camp, w^as com- 
pletely silenced. 
• The country bordering the Eappahannock is covered 
with dense forest, whence it has justly acquired the 
name of the Wilderness, and in many places it pre- 
sents scenes of wild and romantic beauty. It is not 
traversed by regular roads, but a number of small 
bridle-paths wind through the tangled undergrowth of 
laurels and brambles, which, interlacing with the vines 
and creepers that hang down from the larger trees, 
form thickets which no human being could penetrate. 
It was a beautiful calm evening, the silence of which 
was broken only by the song of the thrush or the 
monotonous tapping of the woodpecker — one of those 
evenings that seem made for a melancholy and senti- 
mental mood ; and, strange to say, by such a mood 
was I now completely overcome, my thoughts con- 
stantly reverting to my dear friend Pelham, with an 
obstinate foreboding that some dreadful fate must 
have befallen him. 

A trifling incident occurred near headquarters 
which happened to amuse me, and sufficed to divert 
my thoughts from their melancholy course. On my 



DEATH OF PELHAM. 349 

way towards the river I had consulted a sturdy farmer 
as to a short cut, and now, on my return, I met him 
again ; but as I had since our first meeting taken off 
my cloak and tied it to the saddle, the old fellow did 
not recognise me as liis morning's acquaintance, and 
accosted me thus : " Have you met a fellow on the 
road in a big overcoat, and riding a horse something 
like yours ? He asked me some questions, and talked 
very like a Dutchman. My notion is he's nothing more 
than a d — d Yankee spy." Whereupon I informed 
him that I was the identical person; but nothing 
could persuade him of this, for he now vowed I had 
no Dutch accent at all, and, in fact, complimented me 
on my excellent English pronunciation. So I left 
him to his obstinate conviction, and continued my 
route to the camp, which I reached shortly after 
dark. 

N"ext morning, about an hour before daylight, I was 
roused from my slumbers by hearing some one riding 
up to my tent, and startled out of bed by the voice of 
one of the couriers Stuart had taken with him, who, 
with much agitation of manner, reported that the 
General had been engaged with Fitz Lee's brigade in 
a sanguinary battle against far superior numbers of 
the enemy, and had beaten them, but at the cost of 
many lives, and among them that of Pelham, the 
gallant chief of our horse -artillery. Poor Pelham! 
He had but just received his promotion to the rank 
of Lieutenant-Colonel, and now met his death in a 
comparatively small engagement, after passing safely 
through so many great battles. Being on a visit .of 
pleasure, he had been taken unprepared, and, at the 
first sound of the cannon, hastened unarmed, on a 
horse borrowed from Sweeney, to the field of action. 
His batteries had not come up to answer the enemy's 
cannon, but his ardour would not allow him to wait 
for their arrival, and he rushed forward into the 
thickest of the fight, cheering on our men and ani- 
mating them by his example. When one of our 

/ 



350 GENERAL GRIEF OCCASIONED BY IT. 

regiments advancing to charge was received with such 
a terrible fire by the enemy as to cause it to waver^ 
Pelham galloped up to them, shouting, " Forward, 
boys ! forward to victory and glory ! " and at the 
same moment a fragment of a shell, which exploded 
close over his head, penetrated the back part of the 
skull, and stretched the young hero insensible on the 
ground. He was carried at once to Culpepper, where 
the young ladies of Mr S.'s family tended him with 
sisterly care ; but he never again recovered his senses, 
and the same evening his noble spirit departed. This 
sad intelligence spread through the whole camp in a 
few minutes, and the impression of melancholy sorrow 
it produced on all is beyond description, so liked and 
admired had Pelham been, and so proud were we of 
his gallantry. One after the other, comrades entered 
my tent to hear the confirmation of the dreadful 
news, which everybody tried as long as possible not 
to credit. Couriers and negroes assembled outside, 
all seemingly paralysed by the sudden and cruel 
calamity; and when morning came, instead of the 
usual busthng activity and noisy gaiety, a deej) and 
mournful silence reigned throughout the encamp- 
ment. I was much touched by the behaviour of 
Pelham's negro servants, Willis and Newton, who, 
with tokens of the greatest distress, begged to be 
allowed at once to go and take charge of their master's 
body — a permission which I was, however, con- 
strained to refuse. 

Early in the morning I received a telegram from 
Stuart ordering me to proceed by the next train to 
Hanover Junction, there to receive Pelham's body 
and bring it to Ptichmond, and then to make all the 
arrangements necessary to have it conveyed to Ala- 
bama, his native State. I started at once and reached 
the Junction in time to receive the corpse, which, 
along with several others, was enclosed in a simple 
wooden case and under the charge of one of our artil- 
lerymen, who, with tears in his eyes, gave me the 



FUXEEAL HONOUES PAID TO HIM. 351 

particulars of liis gallant commander's death. I did 
not reach Eichmond until late at night, and not find- 
ing the hearse, which I had telegraphed to be in 
readiness, at the station, was obliged to remove the 
body into the town in a common one-horse waggon. 
Immediately on arriving I went to Governor Letcher, 
an old and stanch friend of Stuart's and mine, who 
kindly afforded all the assistance in his power, and 
placed a room at my disposal in the Capitol, where 
the Confederate Congress held its sessions. The cofiQn 
was placed in it, covered with the large flag of the 
State of Virginia, and a guard of honour was placed 
over it. The next day I procured a handsome iron 
coffin, and with my own hands assisted in transfer- 
ring the body to its new receptacle. I was overcome 
with grief as I touched the lifeless hand that had so 
often pressed mine in the grasp of friendship. His 
manly features even in death expressed that fortitude 
and pride which distinguished him. By special re- 
quest I had a small glass window let into the coffin- 
lid just over the face, that his friends and admirers 
might take a last look at the young hero, and they 
came in troops, the majority being ladies, who brought 
garlands and magnificent bouquets to lay upon the 
coffin. Meantime I had communicated with several 
members of Congress from Alabama, friends of Pel- 
ham's father, and it had been decided that his remains 
should be conveyed to Alabama in charge of a young 
soldier, a connection of the family, who had just been 
released from one of the Eichmond hospitals. The 
afternoon of the following day was appointed for the 
departure, and at five o'clock we carried the coffin to 
the station, the Eichmond battalion of infantry doing 
the military honours, and a large number of digni- 
taries of the Confederate States, friends and comrades, 
following. Alabama paid as solemn a tribute of re- 
spect to her gallant son as he deserved to have shown 
him. As soon as the frontier of the State was reached, 
a guard of honour escorted the coffin, and at every 



352 DEATH OF REDMOND BUEKE. 

station on the road ladies were waiting to adorn it 
\vith flowers. 

General Stuart arrived in Eichmond on the day 
following, still deeply affected by the loss of his 
young friend, and greatly grieved that he had not 
been able to attend the funeral ceremonies. Having 
obtained leave to remain in Eichmond a few days, I 
saw many of my old friends again, and among them 
Lawley, through whom I made acquaintance with 
Prince Polignac, who was serving as a brigadier-gen- 
eral of infantry in the Western Army. On my return 
to headquarters another sad message came to us, an- 
nouncing the death of Captain Eedmond Burke, who 
was attached to our Staff. While with a scouting 
party on the Upper Potomac with two of his sons, he 
had been imprudent enough to remain during the 
night at a house close to the enemy's position at 
Shepherdstown. The Yankees, informed by treachery 
of his presence, sent a body of cavalry after him, who 
surrounded the house and summoned the inmates to 
surrender ; but the brave trio sought to break through 
the compact circle, and in the attempt Burke himself 
was killed, one son was wounded, and the other taken 
prisoner. Xot long afterwards we heard of the death 
of Lieutenant Turner, a promising young ofiicer of 
our Staff, who had been despatched with certain in- 
structions to the well-known guerilla chief Mosby, 
and had been severely wounded in a skirmish which 
took place the very day of his arrival. Having been 
left at a plantation within the enemy's lines, he was 
in a fair way of recovery, when a small party of Fed- 
eral cavalry entered the house, tore him from his 
bed, and so ill-treated the poor fellow that his wounds 
reopened and he died shortly after. All these mis- 
fortimes did not fail to cast a gloom over our little 
military family ; and it was an intense relief to us 
when, on the 9th of April, w^e received orders to march 
to Culpepper Court-house ; and the ringing of the 
bugle sounding to horse and announcing the com- 



CAMP NEAR CULPEPPEK. 353 

mencement of a new campaign, with all its wild ex- 
citement, raised our spirits once more to the highest 
pitch. 



CHAPTEE XX. 

THE SPRING CAMPAIGN OF 1863 : CAMP NEAR CULPEPPER — ■ 
FIGHTS ON THE RAPPAHANNOCK — VISIT OF A PRUSSIAN 
OFFICER — RIDES IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD — HOOKER's AD- 
VANCE AND FLANK MARCH — NIGHT-FIGHT NEAR TOD'S 
TAVERN. 

On onr arrival at Culpepper we found it greatly 
improved in aspect. True, the roads were still 
nearly impassable ; but the country round, under 
the influence of frequent rains and the mild air of 
April, had clothed itself in tender verdure, inter- 
spersed here and there with blooming patches by 
the now blossoming peach orchards. Our head- 
quarters were established not more than a quarter 
of a mile from Culpepper, on a height thickly 
covered with pine and cedar trees, skirted by the 
road leading to Orange Court-house, and command- 
ing a view of the village and the surrounding coun- 
try, picturesquely bordered in the distance by the 
beautiful Blue Eidge Mountains. Only W. Lee's 
and ritz Lee's brigades were with us. The former 
picketed the fords in the immediate vicinity of 
Culpepper, and the latter was stationed higher up 
the river. Hampton's command had been left be- 
hind for recruiting, most of its dismounted men 
having been furloughed to their distant homes in 
Mississippi and the Carolinas to supply themselves 
i with fresK horses. Our animals were now beginning 
to get into better condition, forage having become 
more abundant, and being valuably supplemented 
by the new grass and clover. Provisions for the 



354 FIGHTING JOE HOOKER IN COMMAND. 

men had also grown more plentiful, and our kind 
friends in the neighbourhood did their best to keep 
the mess-table of the General and his Staff copiously 
supplied. 

In the mean time, after the battle of Fredericks- 
burg, the supreme command had been transferred 
into the hands of General Hooker, an officer who 
had gained a high reputation by his gallantry — he 
was nicknamed by his men " Fighting Joe"— and 
the good management of his division, but who even- 
tually proved himself to be utterly incapable of 
commanding a large army. Great credit, however, 
was due to him for having availed himself of the 
interval of inaction to improve his cavalry, which 
was now completely recruited, men and horses, and 
augmented by fresh brigades ; while new order and 
discipline had been instilled into the entire force. 
A large part of the cavalry of the Army of the 
Potomac, as it was still called, had been concen- 
trated on the Upper Eappahannock, and it was 
this fact which had caused our rapid departure from 
Fredericksburg. The restless activity of our neigh- 
bours on the other side of the river, their constant 
marching and coimtermarching, indicated that some 
serious enterprise was impending ; and the renewal 
of the xjicket-firing created the daily expectation, 
after so long an interval of tranquillity, of a brush 
with our antagonists. 

We had already, on the 13th, been brought into 
the saddle by a sudden alarm, but had found, on 
hastening to the front, that the gallantry and good 
firing of our pickets had foiled every effort of the 
Federals to eff'ect a crossing over the Eappahannock. 
On the following morning, however, we were ab- 
ruptly startled by a report that the Yankees had 
forced a passage at several points of the river, had 
driven our pickets back, and were advancing in 
large force upon Culpepper. All was hurry and 
confusion at headquarters on the receipt of this 



THE ENEMY AGAIN ATTACKING. 355 

intelligence ; tents were struck, horses saddled, wag- 
gons loaded and teams harnessed, for an immediate 
start — the General and his Staff galloping off to 
throw ourselves, with W. Lee's brigade, across the 
enemy's path. It was on the plain near Brandy 
Station — that battle-ground so often mentioned 
already — that we once more encountered the ad- 
vancing foe, and before long the action developed 
along all our line. The enemy fought with great ob- 
stinacy, and at first we had to yield ground to them 
for some distance ; but in the course of the after- 
noon we succeeded, by a general and united move- 
ment in advance, in driving them back across the 
river. The fighting was only kept up during the 
evening by an exchange of firing between the Yankee 
guns mounted on an old redoubt close to the oppo- 
site shore and our batteries on two hills, about a 
mile apart, in the space between which Generals 
Stuart and Lee, with their respective Staffs, had taken 
up their position, carelessly stretched on the ground, 
chatting and laughing and watching the effect of the 
shells crossing each other over their heads, as uncon- 
cerned as if there were no enemy within miles. I 
myself was posted a little to the right, narrowly 
observing, by the aid of the excellent glass I had 
captured from General Pope's baggage, the move- 
ments of the enemy, and wondering in my mind how 
it was a numerous group of officers so close under 
the Yankee cannons had thus long escaped their 
attention. Suddenly I saw the of&cer commanding 
the Federal battery mount the parapet, and, after 
scanning the knot of officers through his glass, assist 
with his own hands in pointing one of the guns upon 
them. In spite of my warning, which was received 
with mockery, the joyous assembly continued their 
seance till, a few seconds after, the shot was heard, 
and a shell fell plump in their midst, burying in the 
earth with itself one of General Lee's gauntlets, 
which lay on the ground only a few feet from the 



356 ACTION AT BRANDY STATION. 

General himself, and bespattering all who were 
.nearest to it with earth and mud. It was now my 
turn to laugh as I beheld my gallant comrades stam- 
pede right and left from the fatal spot, chasing their 
frightened horses, followed by a rapid, though hap- 
pily less well-directed, succession of shots from the 
enemy's guns. With this little incident closed the 
fight for that day. A heavy shower now descended, 
lasting many hours, which, in the absence of the 
shelter of our tents, left unpitched in the hurry and 
excitement of the events of the day, caused us to 
spend a night of wretched discomfort. 

General Stuart was led to believe that, the river 
being much swollen by the rain, the Yankees would 
leave us undisturbed ; but at the very earliest gleam 
of day, this supposition was dispelled by the intelli- 
gence that the enemy, strongly reinforced, had suc- 
ceeded again in forcing a passage to our side ; and 
once more, wet through and shivering, we were sum- 
moned to the front. The conflict, as on so many 
previous occasions, commenced near Brandy Station ; 
but, notwithstanding their vastly superior numbers, 
our adversaries did not make a very obstinate stand, 
probably owing to the rapid rising of the Rappahan- 
nock, which in a few hours more might be rendered 
impassable. Stuart, desirous on this very account to 
draw the enemy into a battle, vigorously pushed his 
troops forward after the retreating foe, but was un- 
able to prevent the safe crossing of the entire cavalry 
force of the enemy, with the exception of their rear- 
guard, composed of two squadrons of the 3d Indiana 
regiment. These we brought to a stand a few hun- 
dred yards from a mill-creek which intersects the 
road at a distance of about half a mile from the river, 
and generally presents scarcely a foot's depth of water, 
but which was now swollen to a wide and rapid stream 
not to be crossed, even at the shallowest points, save 
with the greatest difficulty. As soon as the head of 
our column approached this spot, a number of dis- 



A DESPERATE LEAP INTO THE STREAM. 357 

mounted sharpshooters, posted here to protect the 
Yankees' rear, opened a severe fire, killing and wound- 
ing several of our men. Stuart at once ordered a 
squadron of our 9th Virginia regiment, who were 
leading the advance, to charge. Having been refused 
the General's permission to join in the attack, I gal- 
loped, on my own account, about a hundred yards to 
the right of the road in the direction of the hostile 
sharpshooters, whose particular attention I at once 
engaged, a number of bullets flying round my head 
unpleasantly quick and near. Having got within 
about forty yards of their position, I shouted out to 
them to surrender ; but in the fancied security offered 
by the broad foaming stream, which flowed between 
them and their assailants, they treated my summons 
with defiance, and answered it only by a brace of bul- 
lets, one of which nearly cut off a lock of my hair. 
Exasperated out of all patience at this, I spurred my 
horse and dashed with a tremendous leap into the 
middle of the creek, and for a moment its waters 
seemed to close over my head ; but quickly sur- 
maunting the torrent, my brave horse gallantly swam 
to the opposite shore, and, by a strenuous effort of 
every sinew, succeeded in scrambling up the steep 
bank to the high ground above. 

The boldness and rapidity of this feat seemed to 
perfectly paralyse the objects of my wrath — a corpo- 
ral and a private of the 3d Indiana Cavalry, who, as 
I pounced upon them with uplifted sword, threw 
away their arms and begged for mercy on their knees. 
In the first excitement, I felt but little inclined to 
heed their prayers, seeing that but a few minutes be- 
fore they had shot down one of our men, and had 
spent their last cartridge in the attempt to do the 
like for me ; but the poor wretches were so terror- 
stricken, and begged so hard for their lives, that I 
was content to commute the penalty of death to 
treating them with just such a cold bath as I had 
had ; and so I sent them throudi the water to the 



358 THE ENEMY AGAIN DRIVEN BACK. 

other side, where one of our couriers, who had hast- 
ened up to my assistance, took them in charge. In 
the mean time, the fight had ended in our favour. 
The enemy, after a short but severe combat, had 
broken in utter confusion, and had been chased by 
our men across the creek to the river, where a heavy 
fire from the opposite bank put an end to the pursuit. 
Some thirty prisoners and horses fell into our hands, 
and the enemy lost severely besides in killed and 
wounded — a good number of their men having been 
unhorsed in the hurried passage of the creek, and 
whelmed in the angry waves. 

Stuart, who had witnessed the whole course of my 
little exploit, was much amused at the plight in 
which I returned, soaked through, and beplastered 
with mud. He had never, he said, expected to see 
me emerge after my plunge ; and added, that as I 
climbed up the bank I looked like a terrapin crawl- 
ing out of the mud. For some little time longer 
the firing was kept up by the artillery on both sides ; 
but as the enemy soon entirely disappeared from the 
opposite side of the Eappahannock, we returned to our 
camping ground, pitched our tents, and established 
once more, in regular order, our cavalry headquarters. 

As the continued rains rendered the crossing of 
the Eappahannock impracticable, an interval of 
tranquillity succeeded these few days of conflict and 
excitement. It speeded away, however, rapidly 
enough, amidst visits in the neighbourhood and 
pleasant horseback excursions in the company of 
our lady acquaintances. On the 21st I had an agree- 
able surprise in a visit from a fellow-countryman, 
Captain Scheibert, of the Prussian engineers. He 
had been sent on a mission by his Government to 
take note as an eyewitness of the operations of the 
war, and derive what profit he could from its expe- 
riences. I had already seen him at General E. E. 
Lee's headquarters, where he was a guest of the 
General's, for he had been several weeks with our 



. AN UNEXPECTED COMPLIMENT. 359 

army, and was now abont, at my urgent prayer, to 
make a further stay with us. My tent and its com- 
forts, sadly curtailed however by the results of the 
heavy rains, which on several occasions had com- 
pletely deluged it, were gladly shared with my 
visitor. Just as at our old headquarters, near Frede- 
ricksburg, we had been annoyed by the aggressions 
of straying sheep, we now suffered from the daily 
irruptions upon our camp of pigs exploring and 
devouring every tiling that fell under their snouts. 
'Not seldom, indeed, these intruders had the im- 
pudence to break into my tent in the middle of 
the night, having set their fancy on a pair of 
large cavalry boots of mine, which once or twice 
they succeeded in dragging off far into the woods, 
giving my negro Henry and myself infinite trouble 
before we could recover these precious parts of my 
accoutrement. Our evenings were mostly passed in 
the village, in the company of our lady acquaintances, 
whom Scheibert delighted by his excellent piano- 
forte-playing, to say nothing of the amusement they 
derived from his original practice with the idiom and 
pronunciation of the English language. 

On the 28th, Stuart and the members of his Staff, 
including our visitor, dined by invitation under the 
roof of an old widow lady, a very particular friend 
of mine, who resided on a pretty little plantation 
close to Culpepper. Mrs S. was a poetess, and had 
exercised her talents to the glorification of Lee and 
Jackson, so that when, after dinner, she asked per- 
mission to read a new poem, we all naturally ex- 
pected that it was now Stuart's turn. What was 
my astonishment, however, and embarrassment to 
find myself the theme of her eloquent and touching 
verses, wherein my praises were most flatteringly 
sounded ! Blushing, and transfixed to my chair 
with stupefaction, as I heard the loud applause 
which gxeeted the conclusion of the piece, for a 
moment I was at a loss how to behave : then sud- 



360 A FEESH ALARM FEOM THE ENEMY. 

denly rousing myself, I advanced towards Mrs S., 
and in the fashion of the knights of old, I knelt on 
one knee, and with a kiss mutely impressed my 
thanks on the hand from which I received my 
poetical diploma of merit. "That won't do, Von," 
cried out Stuart, and, stepping forward, he printed a 
hearty kiss on the old lady's cheek — a liberty which 
she received with a very good grace, saying, " Gene- 
ral, I have always known you to be a very gallant 
soldier, but from this moment I believe you to be 
the bravest of the brave." Music, dance, and merri- 
ment chased away the remaining hours of the day, 
and it was late in the night ere we reached our 
headquarters, and retired to rest, little divining how 
soon we should be roused up again. 

It was about three in the morning when I was 
awakened by the General himself, who informed me 
he had just received intelligence that the enemy were 
approaching the river at several points with a strong 
force composed of infantry, cavalry, and artillery, and 
that we must hasten to the front without delay. The 
words were no sooner spoken than the bugle sounded 
to horse, and a few minutes after we galloped away 
from the camp, where all were busy wdth prepara- 
tions for moving at a moment's notice. We reached 
the famous plateau near Brandy Station a little after 
daybreak, and found there W. Lee's brigade in line 
of battle, and two batteries of artillery in position. 
Fitz Lee's command arrived soon afterwards ; and on 
this spot, so favourable for defence, Stuart decided to 
await the enemy's advance, making all preparations 
for a desperate resistance. A dense fog, which clung 
to the plain, precluded all observation of the hostile 
movements ; but our pickets, which by this time had 
been forced back from the river and were receding 
towards us before vastly superior numbers, reported 
that a large body of troops of all arms had passed 
over to our side of the Eappahannock, and, to judge 
from the sounds which reached them, still more were 



WE AEE MISLED BY THE ENEMY. 361 

crossing on several pontoon-bridges. In the midst 
of the anxious suspense in which the morning passed 
away a prisoner was brought in, who, misled by the 
fog, had ridden straight into our lines, and as he was 
led up to us by two of our men, he was vainly trying 
to make himself understood. Addressing this ex- 
cited gentleman in French, I found tliat he was a 
Belgian artillery otficer who, anxious to have the best 
opportunity possible of witnessing the operations in 
the field, had attached himself to the Staff of some 
Yankee General, temporarily adopting the Federal 
uniform. My new acquaintance very naturally de- 
clined to afford us any information as to the enemy's 
strength and their intentions ; but, observing how 
small comparatively were our numbers, he said, with 
a shrug of his shoulders, " Gentlemen, I can only 
give you one piece of advice — that is, to try and 
make your escape as quickly as possible ; if not, 
your capture by the large army in front of you is a 
certainty." I replied, laughing, " That we preferred 
to wait a little while yet, and that it was our habit 
always to fight before retreating." Our Irave Beige, 
with great earnestness, claimed his neutral privileges, 
and exhibited a profound disinclination to be sent 
as a captive to Eichmond ; but, being taken in full 
Yankee uniform, no exception could be made in his 
case, and accordingly he was eventually sent, with 
other prisoners, to that objectionable locality, there 
to await his regular exchange. 

Hour after hour passed away in this trying state 
of uncertainty, until at last, towards mid-day, the fog 
cleared away, and we were enabled to discover that 
our antagonists had for once completely deceived us. 
The advance in front had only been made by some 
cavalry to occupy our attention while the main body 
had marched in the direction of the Eapidan river. 
With his accustomed quickness, Stuart divined at 
once the intentions of the Federal commander, and, 
leaving one regiment behind to watch the movements 



362 ^VE OVERTAKE THEIR EEAK-GUAED. 

of the hostile cavalry, we directed our march with all 
rapidity towards Stevensburg and Germana Ford on 
the Eapidan, trusting to be able to throw ourselves 
in the way of the enemy before he could reach the 
latter important point, where our engineers had just 
been completing a bridge. Unfortunately we were 
too late ; and on reaching the intersection of the 
road, near the free negro Madden's house, previously 
mentioned, we found the greater part of the Federal 
troops had passed already, and could see, at a dis- 
tance of not more than three hundred yards, the 
dense masses of their rear-guard marching steadily 
along. To give the Yankees an idea how close we 
were on their track, Stuart ordered the attack at 
once, and our dismounted sharpshooters, advancing 
through the undergrowth, opened fire simultaneously 
with our artillery, advantage being taken by the 
latter of several openings in the forest to throw a 
shower of shell and canister into their closely serried 
ranks. The confusion and consternation caused 
amongst them by this unexpected attack passes all 
description. In utter helpless stampede they pressed 
forward in double-quick, completely heedless of the 
efforts of their officers to make them stand and fight, 
and animated by the one sole object of escaping from 
the deadly fire, which again and again plunged into 
the hostile columns until the last man had disap- 
peared. The road was covered with their dead and 
wounded, and sixty who had straggled off into the 
woods were taken prisoners. 

We learned from these prisoners that the force 
consisted of three corps d'armee — the 5th, 11th, and 
12th ; that their destination was Germana Ford and 
Chancellorsville ; and that their cavalry, under Gen- 
eral Stoneman's command, was to march towards 
Culpepper Court-house. In accordance with this in- 
formation General Stuart resolved to leave William 
Lee's brigade behind to impede as much as possible 
Stoneman's advance, and with Fitz Lee's command to 



A NIGHT-EIDE WITH STUART. 363 

fall again upon the enemy's flank. By the time we 
reached Eacoon's Ford it was already dark, and after 
crossing the river we dismounted here for an hour to 
feed our horses. The night was wet and chilly, a 
fine sleet drizzling down incessantly; and we felt 
cold, hungry, and uncomfortable, when, after a short 
rest, we rode on again through the darkness. We 
were marching along the plank-road, which, coming 
from Orange Court-house, strikes across that leading 
from Germana to Chancellorsville, at a small village 
called the Wilderness, when at that point the Federal 
army, already in motion, came in sight. The day 
being just breaking we attacked without delay ; but 
found this time the Federals better prepared, several 
of their infantry regiments forming at once into line 
of battle, and their artillery most effectively answer- 
ing the fire of our battery. After a short but severe 
contest we had to retire; but, striking into a road 
parallel with the enemy's line of march, we renewed 
the conflict, whenever a favourable opportunity seem- 
ed to present itself, until late in the evening, when 
General Stuart gave the order to turn off in the 
direction of Spotsylvania Court-house and go into 
bivouac about eight miles hence, at a place called 
Tod's Tavern. 

We reached tliis point about nightfall, and here 
General Stuart decided to leave the regiment behind, 
and, accompanied only by myself, some members of 
the Staff, whom Captain Scheibert volunteered to 
join, and a few couriers, to ride across through the 
woods to General E. E. Lee's headquarters, which, 
as the crow flies, were about twelve miles • distant. 
Knowing we should have to pass quite close to the 
enemy's lines, I endeavoured to persuade the General 
to take one of our squadrons along with him as an 
escort, but the General refused, believing the road to 
be quite clear ; so, by way of precaution, I sent a 
courier on ahead to serve as a kind of advanced- 
guard. We had been riding for some time silently 



364 FIND OUESELVES AlVIONG THE ENEMY. 

tlirough the forest, whose darkness was only relieved 
by occasional glimpses of the new moon, when sud- 
denly a pistol-shot was heard a few hundred yards 
ahead of us, and presently the courier hurried back 
to us, reporting, in the most excited manner, that he 
had been fired at by a Yankee cavalry picket sta- 
tioned only a short distance from us in the road. 
Stuart, perfectly convinced that the courier was de- 
ceived, and had taken some of our own men for the 
enemy, requested me to ride ahead and investigate 
the matter. 

Accompanied by Major Terril of our Staff, I pricked 
forward and soon discovered a body of thirty horse- 
men before us, who in their light-blue overcoats, just 
discernible by the feeble light of the moon, looked 
most decidedly like Federals. To make quite sure, 
however, we approached to within about fifty yards, 
and I then called out and asked them to what regi- 
ment they belonged. "You shall see that soon 
enough, you d — d rebels," was the answer, and at the 
same moment the whole party came full gallop to- 
wards us. Firing our revolvers at the charging foe, 
we quickly turned our horses' heads and rode as fast 
as our steeds would carry us to the rear, followed by 
our pursuers shouting and firing after us to their 
hearts' content. Eesistance when so completely out- 
numbered would have been folly; and accordingly I 
had the pleasure of seeing our General, who had 
now lost all doubts as to the real character of these 
cavalrymen, for once run from the enemy. The Yan- 
kees soon slackened their pace, however, and at last 
gave up the chase altogether, when we halted, and 
General Stuart despatched Captain White of our 
Staff to Fitz Lee, with the order to send on one of 
his regiments as quickly as possible, and to follow 
slowly himself with the remainder of his brigade. 
After an anxious half-hour the regiment came up, 
and we had the satisfaction of turning the tables on 
our pursuers and driving them before us as rapidly 



PANIC AND KOUT OF OUR MEN. 865 

as we liad fled before them. The feeble light of the 
moon was now nearly extinguished by the clouds 
scudding rapidly across the sky. General Stuart 
and his Staff were trotting along at the head of the 
column, when, at the moment of emerging out of the 
dark forest, we suddenly discovered in the open field 
before us, and at a distance of not more than 160 
yards, the long lines of several regiments of hostile 
cavalry, who received us with a severe fire, which, 
concentrated on the narrow road, in a few moments 
killed and wounded a large number of our men and 
horses, causing considerable confusion in our ranks, 
and speedily checking our onward movement. Fully 
conscious of our critical position, Stuart drew his 
sword, and, raising his clear ringing voice, gave the 
order to attack, taking the lead himself. For once 
our horsemen refused to follow their gallant com- 
mander; they wavered under the thick storm of 
bullets ; soon all discipline ceased, and in a few 
minutes the greater part of this splendid regiment, 
which had distinguished itself in so many battle- 
fields, broke to the rear in utter confusion. In vain 
did the General, myself, and the other members of 
the Staff, do our utmost to restore order; we only 
succeeded in rallying about thirty men round us. 

At this moment the enemy's bugle sounded the 
charge ; and a few seconds after we brunted the 
shock of the attack, which broke upon us like a 
thunder-cloud, and bore our little band along with 
its vehement rush as driven by a mighty wave, 
sweeping us along with it into the darkness of the 
forest. And now ensued a wild, exciting chase, in 
which friend and foe, unable to recognise each other, 
mingled helter-skelter in one furious ride. I cannot 
describe the sensation that came over me, as, feeling 
assured that everything was now lost, I tightly grasped 
the hilt of my sword, resolved to sell my life as dearly 
as possible. Relying merely on the instinct of their 
horses, most of the men followed the straight road by 



366 DANGERS OF OUR RIDE IN THE FOREST. 

wliich we had come, but I and a number of others 
turned off into a small by-road to the left. Here I 
discovered by the gleams of the moonlight, which 
now broke out more brightly, that those immediately 
round me were friends, but every effort to stop and 
rally them was in vain. "The Yankees are close 
behind ; we must run for our lives," was all the 
answer I received to my appeals ; and on went the 
hopeless stampede more furiously than before. A 
tremendous fence standing across our path, too high 
for a leap, and only to be pulled down at the risk of 
dismounting, seemed likely to bring our wild retreat 
to a stop ; but by dint of rider pressing on rider, and 
horse plunging against horse, it at last yielded to the 
accumulated weight of the impetuous horsemen, and 
broke down with a loud crash, leaving the way open 
to the disorderly flight. Just as, at the end of a 
rapid ride of more than an hour through dense forest, 
1 reached an open field, a rider, who had been close 
at my side for some time, startled me with the excla- 
mation, " Von, is that you ? " in tones which, to my 
intense delight and relief, I recognised to be Stuart's, 
who had followed the same route as myself 

We were soon joined by some other members of 
our Staff, all of whom had had wonderful escapes ; 
and by our united efforts we at last succeeded in ral- 
lying some sixty of our men, whom we put in charge 
of one of their officers, with orders to wait for further 
instructions. Meanwhile we set off with the project 
of rejoining the rest of the brigade, which, in a dark 
night, and through an unknown and forest-covered 
country, was a task of some difficulty. On our road 
we fell in with several of our former pursuers, wdio, 
being bewildered in the vast forest, now surrendered 
to us with little hesitation ; two of these were cap- 
tured by Stuart himself At the end of an hour's 
tedious ride we came upon Fitz Lee's column trot- 
ting onward to the field of action, whither the 2d 
Virginia had already preceded them. On reaching 



"VVE AEE AGAIN THROWN INTO DISORDER. 367 

tlie scene of our recent defeat, we found that our 
brave fellows of the 2d, led by their gallant colonel, 
Munford, had come up just in time to protect their 
flying comrades, and had thrown themselves with 
such ardour on the Federals as to break their lines 
and scatter them in every direction, many killed and 
wounded being left on the field, and some eighty 
prisoners and horses falling into our hands. 

As all seemed now over, Stuart ordered the troops 
to march on to Spotsylvania Court-house, and there 
encamp, the 2d Virginia taking the lead, and the 
prisoners and remaining regiments following. "We 
were quietly marching along with the advanced- 
guard, chatting over the incidents of the evening, 
when several shots suddenly sounded on our left, 
followed by brisk firing in our rear. Immediately 
cries of " The Yankees are on us ! " " The Yankees 
are charging !" broke out from our column ; sabres 
flew out of their scabbards, revolvers from their hol- 
sters, and everybody seemed on fire to oppose the 
enemy, without exactly knowing in what direction 
to look for him. The scene of confusion which en- 
sued is not to be described ; firearms exploded in all 
directions, bullets traversed the air from all quarters ; 
and, for want of a visible foe, friend seemed likely to 
come into collision with friend. General Stuart and 
several others, including myself, did our utmost to 
quell the disorder, but our voices were drowned in 
the general hubbub. Suddenly a fresh cry of " Here 
are the Yankees ; here they come," broke out from 
the men around me as they fired off their revolvers 
into the bushes to the right. Calling on them to 
follow, I spurred my horse forward in the same direc- 
tion, when, at the same moment, I was met by a 
rider galloping towards me, who levelled a shot at 
me so close, the bullet passing through my hat, that 
I was completely blinded. Before I had quite re- 
covered and could deliver my thrust, my adversary 
lost no time in firing his second shot, which entered 



368 NARROW ESCAPE OF THE AUTHOR. 

the head of my brave bay, and stretched us both on 
the ground, myself under the horse. Luckily, how- 
ever, I was able to disengage myself from the super- 
incumbent weight of the dying animal ; and, jumping 
up to look after my assailant, found that, fortunately 
for me, he had disappeared, without waiting to take 
advantage of my prostrate condition. 

Nevertheless my position was a ticklish one still ; 
the firing continued in all directions round me, and 
our men were galloping about in wild excitement, 
some calling on me to save myself, as the woods 
were full of Federals. As I did not much fancy 
leaving my saddle and bridle a spoil to the enemy, I 
had managed to detach the precious articles from my 
dead steed, when one of our couriers rode up to me, 
leading a Yankee horse which he had caught for me 
as it was running about riderless. It was an odd- 
looking, stumpy - legged little pony ; and when 
mounted on it, my legs dangling nearly to the 
ground, my large English hunting-saddle covering 
the pony's neck, and leaving his ears only sticking 
out, I must have presented a remarkable figure, 
especially as the little beast was in such a state of 
excitement, plunging and snorting wildly, that I had 
some trouble in keeping my seat. At last, with no 
little difficulty, I succeeded in finding Stuart again, 
who, in the midst of his ill-humour and dissatisfac- 
tion at the behaviour of his men, was unable to resist 
the ludicrous effect of my appearance. He now told 
me that discipline and order had at last been re- 
established, and that the whole rout had been caused 
by less than a hundred of the enemy's cavaliy dis- 
persed in the woods by the charge of the 2d Virginia, 
and who, in the darkness, had been taken for a much 
larger force. He added that our men had mistaken 
each other for enemies ; and that two of our regi- 
ments, the 1st and 3d Virginia, under this mutual 
delusion, had charged through each other in a 
splendid attack before they discovered their error, 



ARRIVAL AT LEE S HEADQUARTERS, 369 

which was fortunately attended with no worse conse- 
quences than a few sabre- cuts. All this was a lesson 
how dangerous night-attacks always are, and taught 
me that, whenever possible, they should be avoided. 
Our regiments having been collected, and our 
prisoners brought together again, we continued our 
march to Spotsylvania, which we reached without 
further interruption at about two in the morning, 
and our brigade went into bivouac. I liere exchanged 
my pony for another of the captured horses, and rode 
on, with the untiring Stuart, eight miles further in 
the direction of Fredericksburg, to General E. E. 
Lee's headquarters, where we arrived just at day- 
break, and I was enabled to snatch an hour's rest 
and tranquillity after all the excitement and fatigue 
of the night. Our accidental encounter with the 
enemy tmmed out of the utmost importance in its 
consequences, as the cavalry force with which we 
came into collision was, in fact, the advanced-guard 
of a much larger force sent by the Federals to destroy 
our railway communications — an enterprise which, 
after this partial defeat, they abandoned altogether. 
The main body of the Federal army, numbering 
about 100,000 men, had in the meanwhile centred 
in the neighbourhood of Chancellorsville, the three 
corps coming from the Eapidan having united with 
those which had crossed the Eappahannock at United 
States and Banks Ford. A strong force still remained 
opposite Fredericksburg, watched on our side by 
Early's division. The bulk of our army confronted 
the enemy in line of battle, almost perpendicularly 
to the Eappahannock — Anderson's and M'Laws's 
divisions of Longstreet's corps forming the right, 
Jackson's corps the left wing, our whole numbers 
amounting to about 50,000 men.* 

* General Longstreet himself, with Picket's and Hood's divi- 
sions, had some time since been detailed to North Carolina, where 
he was operating against a Federal army in the neighbourhood of 
Suffolk. 

2 A 



370 FIGHT AT THE FURNACE. 



CHAPTEK XXL 

FIGHT NEAR THE FURNACE — NARROW ESCAPE OF JACKSON 
AND STUART — JACKSON's FLANK MARCH — FIRST BATTLE 
OF THE WILDERNESS, 2D MAY 1863. 

Aftee doing a large amount of sleep in a very short 
time, we started again, considerably refreshed, for 
Spotsylvania Court-house, to join our cavalry there, 
and take up our position on Jackson's left. Towards 
eight o'clock, our entire army commenced a forward 
movement on the enemy, who had only a few isolated 
detachments posted in our immediate front. With 
these a few lively skirmishes occm-red, as we encoun- 
tered them in succession, and drove them gradually 
before us upon the main body of their troops. For 
many miles round the country was covered with 
dense forest, with only occasional patches of open 
space, so that we made but slow progress, and in 
many places our cavalry and artillery had to sur- 
mount considerable difficulties in their advance. At 
about four o'clock we reached a place called " The 
Purnace," from some productive iron-works formerly 
established there ; and having received an intimation 
from our advanced-guard that a strong body of the 
enemy's infantry were occupying a position about 
half a mile further on, immediately across our road, 
drawn up in line of battle to oppose our advance, 
Stuart at once ordered the 1st regiment of cavalry to 
charge. So heavy a fire met our brave fellows, how- 
ever, and they were so impeded by the nature of the 
ground, utterly unfit for cavalry operations, that they 
returned about as quickly as they had started, and 
we had to remain stationary, awaiting reinforcements 
from Jackson's infantry. A Georgia brigade soon 
came up, and, after a short but severe contest, we 
succeeded in driving the enemy back some distance, 



IMMINENT DANGER OF JACKSON AND STUART. 371 

till they came under the protection of numerous 
batteries of their artillery, posted on a ridge of hills, 
and whose fire thundered down with such fearful 
effect as to check all further progress. Just at this 
moment Jackson galloped up, and begged Stuart to 
ride forward with him in order to reconnoitre the 
enemy's lines, and find out a point from which the 
enemy's artillery might be enfiladed. 

A small bridle-path branching forth from the main 
road to the right conducted to a height about half a 
mile distant ; and as this seemed a favourable point 
for their object, both Generals, accompanied by their 
Staffs, made for it, followed by six pieces of our horse- 
artillery. On reaching the spot, so dense was the 
undergrowth, it was found impossible to find enough 
clear space to bring more than one gun at a time into 
position ; the others closed up immediately behind, 
and the whole body of us completely blocked up the 
narrow road. Scarcely had the smoke of our first 
shot cleared away when a couple of masked batteries 
suddenly opened upon us at short range, and en- 
veloped us in a complete storm of shell and canister, 
which, concentrated on so narrow a space, did fearful 
execution among our party, men and horses falling 
right and left, the animals kicking and plunging 
wildly, and everybody eager to disentangle himself 
from the confusion and get out of harm's way. 
Jackson, as soon as he had found out his mistake, 
ordered the guns to retire ; but the confined space 
so protracted the operation of turning, that the 
enemy's cannon had full time to continue its havoc 
to a most fearful extent, covering the road with dead 
and wounded. 

That Jackson and Stuart with their officers escaped 
was nothing short of miraculous, the only exception 
being Major Channing Price of our Staff, who was 
struck a few paces from me by a piece of shell. Poor 
fellow ! imagining that, as no bone was broken, the 
wound was not dangerous, he remained at his post 



372 DEATH OF MAJOR PRICE. 

till lie fainted in liis saddle from the loss of blood, 
and had to be carried to a plantation about a mile in 
our rear. The firing now gradually slackened, and 
soon ceased altogether as darkness came on. As there 
was nothing more to be done for the present on our 
side, and the enemy showed no intention of continu- 
ing the fight, Jackson gave orders for the troops to 
fall back a short distance and go into bivouac. The 
position of our encampment being quite close to the 
house whither our wounded comrade had been con- 
veyed, General Stuart accompanied us thither to look 
after his comforts and nurse him during the night. 
Sad was the intelligence that awaited us ; poor Price 
was dying. The fragment of shell had severed a 
principal artery, and, the bleeding not having been 
stopped in time, he was rapidly and hopelessly sink- 
ing. It was a cruel spectacle to see the gallant young 
fellow stretched on his deathbed surrounded by his 
sorrowing friends, just able to recognise them and 
answer the pressure of their hands as a last farewell. 
His own brother, who had joined us but a few 
months before, leant over him to the last, watching 
in silent agony the pitiless progi^ess of death. About 
midnight our dear friend breathed his last, and 
General Stuart advised us to seek some rest against 
the work of the ensuing day, but no sleep could I 
find. My heart full of grief, and my thoughts busy 
with memories of the departed and of his family at 
Eichmond, who had become dear friends of mine, I 
wandered about all through that mild night of May, 
until the sounding bugle and tlie rolling drums 
roused me from my reveries, to summon me to new 
scenes of death and destruction. 

All was bustle and activity as I galloped along 
the lines, on the morning of the 2d, to obtain, ac- 
cording to Stuart's orders, the latest instructions for 
our cavalry from General Lee, who was located at a 
distance of some miles to our. right. Anderson's 
and M'Laws's sharpshooters were advancing, and al- 

t. 



JACKSON'S FLANK MARCH. 373 

ready exchanging shots with the enemy's skirmishers 
— the line of battle of these two divisions having 
been partially extended over the space previously 
occupied by Jackson's corps, that they might cover 
its movements. This splendid corps, meanwhile, was 
marching in close columns in a direction which set 
us all wondering what could be the intentions of 
old Stonewall ; but as we beheld him riding along, 
heading the troops himself, we should as soon have 
thought of questioning the sagacity of our admired 
chief, as of hesitating to follow him blindly wherever 
he should lead. The orders to the cavalry were to 
report to Jackson, and to form his advanced-guard ; 
and in that capacity we marched silently along 
through the forest, taking a small by-road, which 
brought us several times so near the enemy's 
lines that the stroke of axes, mingled with the 
hum of voices from their camps, was distinctly 
audible. 

Thus commenced the famous flank march which, 
more than any other operation of the war, proved 
the brilliant strategical talents of General Lee, and 
the consummate ability of his lieutenant. About two 
o'clock a body of Federal cavalry came in sight, 
making, however, but slight show of resistance, 
and falling back slowly before us. By about four 
o'clock we had completed our movement without 
encountering any material obstacle, and reached a 
patch of wood in rear of the enemy's right wing, 
formed by the 11th corps, Howard's, which was 
encamped in a large open field not more than half 
a mile distant. Halting here, the cavalry threw 
forward a body of skirmishers to occupy the enemy's 
attention, while the divisions of Jackson's corps, 
A. P. Hill's, Colston's, and Eodes's, numbering in 
all about 28,000 men, moved into line of battle as 
fast as they arrived. Ordered to reconnoitre the 
position of the Federals, I rode cautiously forward 
through the foreat, and reached a point whence I 

i 



374 COMPLETE SUCCESS OF THE MOVEMENT. 

obtained a capital view of the greater part of their 
troops, whose attitude betokened how totally remote 
was any suspicion that a numerous host was so near 
at hand. 

It was evident that the whole movement we had 
thus so successfully executed was regarded as merely 
an unimportant cavalry raid, for only a few squad- 
rons were drawn up in line to oppose us, and a 
battery of four guns was placed in a position to 
conmiand the plank-road from Germana, over which 
we had been marching for the last two hours. The 
main body of the troops were listlessly reposing, 
while some regiments Avere looking on, drawn up on 
dress parade ; artillery horses were quietly grazing 
at some distance from their guns, and the whole 
scene presented a picture of the most perfect heed- 
lessness and nonchalance, compatible only with 
utter unconsciousness of impending danger. While 
complacently gazing on this extraordinary spectacle, 
somewhat touched myself apparently with the spell 
of listless incaution in which our antagonists were 
locked, I was startled by the sound of closely ap- 
proaching footsteps, and turning in their direction 
beheld a patrol of six or eight of the enemy's in- 
fantry just breaking through the bushes, and gazing 
at me with most unmistakable astonishment. I had 
no time to lose here, that was quite certain ; so, 
quickly tugging my horse's head round in the direc- 
tion of my line of retreat, and digging my spurs into 
his sides, I dashed off from before the bewildered 
Yankees, and was out of sight ere they had time to 
take steady aim, the bullets that came whizzing after 
me flying far wide of the mark. 

On my return to the spot where I had left Stuart, 
I found him, with Jackson and the officers of their 
respective Staffs, stretched out along the grass be- 
neath a gigantic oak, and tranquilly discussing their 
plans for the impending battle, which both seemed 
confidently to regard as likely to end in a great 



FIRST BATTLE OF THE WILDERNESS. 375 

and important victory for our arms. Towards five 
o'clock Jackson's adjutant, Major Pendleton, galloped 
up to us and reported that the line of battle was 
formed, and all was in readiness for immediate 
attack. Accordingly the order was at once given 
for the whole corps to advance. All hastened forth- 
with to their appointed posts — General Stuart and 
his Staff joining the cavalry, which was to operate 
on the left of our infantry. Scarcely had we got up 
to our men when the Confederate yell, which always 
preceded a charge, burst forth along our lines, and 
Jackson's veterans, who had been with difficulty 
held back till that moment, bounded forward to- 
wards the astounded and perfectly paralysed enemy, 
while the thunder of our horse-artillery, on whom 
devolved the honour of opening the ball, reached us 
from the other extremity of the line. The more 
hotly we sought to hasten to the front, the more 
obstinately did we get entangled in the undergrowth, 
while our infantry moved on so rapidly that the 
Federals were already completely routed by the 
time we had got thoroughly quit of the forest. 

It was a strange spectacle that now greeted us. 
The whole of the 11th corps had broken at the first 
shock of the attack ; entire regiments had thrown 
down their arms, which were lying in regular lines 
on the ground, as if for inspection ; suppers just pre- 
pared had been abandoned ; tents, baggage, waggons, 
cannons, half-slaughtered oxen, covered the foreground 
in chaotic confusion, while in the background a host 
of many thousand Yankees were discerned scamper- 
ing for their lives as fast as their limbs could carry 
them, closely followed by our men, who were taking 
prisoners by the hundreds, and scarcely firing a shot. 
The broken nature of the ground was against all 
cavalry operations, and though we pushed forward 
with all our will, it was with difficulty we could keep 
up with Jackson's "Foot-cavalry," as this famous 
infantry was often called. Meanwhile a large part of 



376 COMPLETE DEFEAT OF THE YANKEES. 

the Federal army, roused by the firing and the alarm- 
ing reports from the rear, hastened to the field of 
action, and exerted themselves in vain to arrest the 
disgraceful rout of their comrades of the 11th corps. 
Numerous batteries having now joined the conflict, a 
terrific cannonade roared along the lines, and the fury 
of the battle was soon at its full height. Towards 
dark a sudden pause ensued in the conflict, occa- 
sioned by Jackson giving orders for his lines to re- 
form for the continuation of the combat, the rapid 
and prolonged pursuit of the enemy having thrown 
them into considerable disorder. Old Stonewall 
being thoroughly impressed with the conviction that 
in a few hours the enemy's whole forces would be 
defeated, and that their principal line of retreat would 
be in the direction of Ely's Ford, Stuart was ordered 
to proceed at once towards that point with a portion 
of his cavalry, in order to barricade the road, and as 
much as possible impede the retrograde movement 
of the enemy. 

In this operation we were to be joined by a North 
Carolina infantry regiment, which was already on its 
way towards the river. Leaving the greater part of 
the brigade behind us under Fitz Lee's command, we 
took only the 1st Virginia Cavalry with us, and, trot- 
ting rapidly along a small by-path, overtook the 
infantry about two miles from the ford. Eiding 
with Stuart a little ahead of our men, I suddenly 
discovered, on reaching the summit of a slight rise in 
the road, a large encampment in the valley to our 
left, not more than a quarter of a mile from where 
we stood, and further still, on the opposite side of 
the river, more camp-fires were visible, indicating the 
presence of a large body of troops. Calling a halt, 
the General and I rode cautiously forward to recon- 
noitre the enemy a little more closely, and we man- 
aged to approach near enough to hear distinctly the 
voices and distinguish the figures of the men sitting 
round their fires, or strolling through the camp. The 



PREPAEATIONS FOR A SUKPEISE. 377 

unexpected presence of so large a body of the enemy 
immediately in our path entirely disconcerted our 
previous arrangements. Nevertheless Stuart deter- 
mined on giving them a slight surprise and disturb- 
ing their comfort by a few volleys from our infantr}^ 
Just as the regiment, mustering about a thousand, 
had formed into line according to orders, and was 
prepared to advance on the enemy, two officers of 
General A. P. Hill's Staff rode up in great haste and 
excitement, and communicated something in a low 
tone to General Stuart, by which he seemed greatly 
startled and affected. " Take command of that regi- 
ment, and act on your own responsibility," were his 
whispered injunctions to me, as he immediately rode 
off, followed by the other officers and the cavalry at 
their topmost speed. 

The thunder of the cannon, which for the last hour 
had increased in loudness, announced that Jackson 
had recommenced the battle, but as to the course or 
actual position of affairs I had not an iota of infor- 
mation; and my anxiety being moreover increased 
by the suddenness of Stuart's departure on some 
unknown emergency, I felt rather awkwardly situ- 
ated. Here was I in the darkness of the night, in 
an unknown and thickly-wooded country, some six 
miles from our main army, and opposite to a far 
superior force, whom I was expected to attack with 
troops whom I had never before commanded, and to 
whom I was scarcely known. I felt, however, that 
there was no alternative but blind obedience, so I 
advanced with the regiment to within about fifty 
yards of the enemy's encampment, and gave the com- 
mand to fire. A hail of bullets rattled through the 
forest, and as volley after volley was fired, the con- 
fusion and dismay occasioned in the camp was inde- 
scribable. Soldiers and officers could be plainly seen 
by the light of the fires rushing helplessly about, 
horses were gallopuig wildly in all directions, and 
the sound of bugles and drums mingled with the 



378 GENERAL JACKSON WOUNDED. 

cries of the wounded and flying, who sought in the' 
distant woods a shelter against the murderous fire of 
their unseen enemy. The troops whom we thus dis- 
persed and put to flight consisted, as I was afterwards 
informed, of the greater part of Averil's cavalry divi- 
sion ; and a great number of the men of this com- 
mand were so panic-stricken, that they did not con- 
sider themselves safe until they had reached the 
opposite shore of the Rapidan, when they straggled 
off for miles all through Culpepper County.' 

Our firing had been kept up for about half an 
hour, and had by this time stirred up alarm in the 
camps on the other side of the river, the troops of 
which were marching on us from various directions. 
Accordingly, I gave orders to my North Carolinians 
to retire, leaving the task of bringing his command 
back to the colonel, while, anxious to rejoin Stuart 
as soon as possible, I galloped on ahead through the 
dark forest, whose solemn silence was only broken 
by the melancholy cry of hosts of whip-poor-wills. 
The firing had now ceased altogether, and all fighting 
seemed to have been entirely given up, which greatly 
increased my misgivings. After a tedious ride for 
nearly an hour over the field of battle, still covered 
with hundreds of wounded, groaning in their agony, 
I at last discovered Stuart seated under a solitary 
plum-tree, busily writing despatches by the dim 
light of a lantern. From General Stuart I now 
received the first information of the heavy calamity 
which had befallen us by the wounding of Jack- 
son. After having instructed his men to fire at 
everything approaching from the direction of the 
enemy, in his eagerness to reconnoitre the position 
of the Federals, and entirely forgetting his own 
orders, he had been riding with his staff-officers out- 
side our pickets, when on their return, being mis- 
taken for the enemy, the little party were received 
by a South Carolina regiment with a volley which 
killed or wounded nearly every man of them, and 



EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES ATTENDING THIS. 379 

laid low our beloved Stonewall liimself. The Fede- 
rals advancing at the same time, a severe skirmish 
ensued, in the course of which one of the bearers of 
the litter on which the General was being carried was 
killed, and Jackson fell heavily to the ground, receiv- 
ing soon afterwards a second wound. For a few 
minutes, in fact, the General was in the hands of the 
enemy ; but his men, becoming aware of his perilous 
position, rushed forward, and speedily driving back 
the advancing foe, carried their wounded commander 
to the rear. 

A. P. Hill, the next in rank, having, soon after 
this, been likewise disabled, Stuart had been sent for 
to take the command of Jackson's corps ; but mean- 
time the golden opportunity had slipped by, the 
enemy had been strongly reinforced, and the renewal 
of the battle was necessarily postponed until the 
following morning. Stuart's position was one of 
undoubted difficulty, his knowledge of the position 
of the troops being, from the suddenness with which 
he was called to assume the chief command, naturally 
imperfect, and most of Jackson's Staff were disabled, 
or were in attendance on their wounded chief. Of 
his own Staff, only myself and one or two others 
happened to be present, but we pledged ourselves to 
exert all our energies, and strain every nerve in aid 
of our General, and in the discharge of our duty. 
General Stuart informed me that the attack was to 
be renewed at the earliest dawn of day ; and as that 
hour was now rapidly approaching, I discarded all 
idea of sleep, and sat up the rest of the night with 
poor Lieutenant Hullingham of our Staff, who liad 
been wounded in the shoulder late in the evening, 
and was suffering intense ^oin. 



380 COMMENCEMENT OF BATTLE OP CHANCELLOESVILLE. 



CHAPTEE XXII. 

THE BATTLE OF CHANCELLORSVILLE AND CONSEQUENT 
EVENTS, MAY 3 TO 6. 

The dawn of this memorable Sunday — destined, as 
by a strange series of coincidences bad been so many 
others, to be a day of fighting instead of rest and 
prayer — was just streaking the sky, when I was sent 
by Stuart to order the skirmishers to advance ; our 
three divisions, numbering still about 28,000 men, 
having in the mean time formed in line of battle 
en Echelon across the Germana plank-road — A. P. 
Hill's in the first line, Colston's in the second, and 
Eodes's in the third. The bulk of the artillery and 
cavalry were placed in reserve, the nature of the 
ground at the commencement of the engagement not 
admitting the employment of more than a certain 
nimiber of light batteries acting in concert with 
the infantry. General Lee, with Anderson's and 
M'Laws's divisions, pressed on the enemy from the 
Fredericksburg side, and was engaged in quite a dis- 
tinct battle until towards the end of the conflict, when 
his extreme left joined our right, and the whole of our 
army operated in one united movement. The enemy, 
fully three times our number, occupied a piece of 
wood extending about two miles from our immediate 
front towards the plateau and open fields round 
Chancellorsville, a village consisting of only a few 
houses. The Federals had made good use of their 
time, having thrown up in the wood during the night 
three successive lines of breastworks, constructed of 
strong timber, and on the plateau itself, occupied by 
their reserves, had erected a regular line of redoubts, 
mounted by their numerous artillery, forty pieces of 
which were playing on the narrow plank-road. This 
plateau of Chancellors^oLle rises abruptly about three 



t 



FEAEFUL FIKE TO WHICH WE ARE EXPOSED. 381 

hundred yards from the skirts of the forest, and is 
bordered by a creek with swampy borders, forming 
a strong natural work of defence. Notwithstanding 
the fearful odds arrayed against us, the many disad- 
vantages under which we were labouring, and the 
fatigues of the last few days, during which scarcely 
any rations had been given out, our men were in 
excellent spirits, and confident of success. The 
sharpshooters advanced rapidly through the dense 
undergrowth, and were soon engaged in a lively 
skirmish with the tirailleurs of the enemy, whom 
they speedily drove to the first line of their intrench- 
ments, where a well-directed fire checked the pur- 
suers. 

All our divisions now moving forward, the battle 
soon became general, and the musketry sounded in ^ 
one continued roll along the lines. Nearly a hun- 
dred hostile guns opening fire at the same time, the 
forest seemed alive with shot, shell, and bullets, 
and the plank-road, upon which, as was before men- 
tioned, the fire of forty pieces was concentrated, was 
soon enveloped in a cloud of smoke from the burst- 
ing of shells and the explosion of caissons. This road 
being our principal line of communication, and 
crowded therefore with ambulances, ammunition- 
trains, and artillery, the loss of life soon became 
fearful, and dead and dying men and animals were 
strewing every part of it. How General Stuart, and 
those few staff-officers with him who had to gallop 
to and fro so frequently through this feu wfernal, 
escaped unhurt, seems to me quite miraculous. 
Several of our couriers were wounded; one had a 
leg torn from his body by a cannon-ball while I was 
in the act of giving him some directions, and died 
soon afterwards. General Stuart had a horse killed 
under him in the first half-hour of the fight, and my 
own was twice wounded, first in the back by a mus- 
ket-ball, and next in the chest by a piece of shell, 
from the effects of which it died the following morn- 



382 , TERRIBLE FATE OF THE WOUNDED. 

ing, though it was fortunately able to carry me 
through the day. Stuart was all activity, and wher- 
ever the danger was greatest there was he to be 
found, urging the men forward, and animating them 
by the force of his example. The shower of missiles 
that hissed through the air passed round him un- 
heeded ; and in the midst of the hottest fire I heard 
him, to an old melody, hum the words, " Old Joe 
Hooker get out of the Wilderness." 

After a raging conflict, protracted for several 
hours, during which the tide of battle ebbed and 
flowed on either side, we succeeded in taking the 
advanced works, and driving the enemy upon their 
third line of intrenchments, of a still stronger char- 
acter than those before it. This partial success was 
only gained with a sad sacrifice of life, while count- 
less numbers were seen limping and crawling to the 
rear. The woods had caught fire in several places 
from the exj)losion of shells — ^the flames spreading 
principally, however, over a space of several acres in 
extent where the ground was thickly covered with 
dry leaves ; and here the conflagTation progressed 
with the rapidity of a prairie-fire, and a large num- 
ber of Confederate and Federal wounded thickly 
scattered in the vicinity, and too badly hurt to crawl 
out of the way, met a terrible death. The heartrend- 
ing cries of the poor victims, as the flames advanced, 
entreating to be rescued from their impending fate — 
entreaties which it was impossible to heed in the 
crisis of the battle, and amidst duties on which the 
lives of many others depended — seem still in my 
ears. Among the heart-sickenmg scenes of this 
terrible conflict which are still vivid in my memory, 
is one no lapse of time can ever efface, and in con- 
templating which I scarcely could check the tears 
from starting to my eyes. Riding to the front, I was 
hailed by a young soldier, whose boyish looks and 
merry songs on the march had frequently attracted 
my attention and excited my interest, and who was 



CHARGE OF EODES'S BRIGADE. 383 

now leaning against a tree, the life-blood streaming 
down his side from a mortal wound, and his face 
white with the pallor of approaching death. '' Major,'^ 
said the poor lad, "I am dying, and I shall never 
see my regiment again ; but I ask you to tell my 
comrades that the Yankees have killed but not con- 
quered me." When I passed the place again half an 
hour afterwards I found him a corpse. Such was the 
universal spirit of our men, and in this lay the secret 
of many of our wonderful achievements. 

The enemy had in the meanwhile been strongly 
reinforced, and now poured forth from their third 
line of intrenchments a fire so terrible upon our ad- 
vancing troops that the first two divisions staggered, 
and, after several unsuccessful efforts to press on- 
ward, fell back in considerable confusion. In vain 
was it that our officers used every effort to bring them 
forward once more ; in vain even was it that Stuart, 
snatching the battle-flag of one of our brigades from 
the hands of the colour-bearer and v/aving it over his 
head, called on them as he rode forward to follow 
him. E'othing could induce them again to face that 
tempest of bullets, and that devastating hurricane of 
grape and canister vomited at close range from more 
than sixty pieces of artillery, and the advantages so 
dearly gained seemed about to be lost. At this criti- 
cal moment, we suddenly heard the yell of Eodes's 
division behind us, and saw these gallant troops, led 
by their heroic general, charge over the front lines, 
and fall upon the enemy with such impetus that in 
a few minutes their works were taken, and they were 
driven in rapid flight from the woods to their re- 
doubts on the hills of Chancellorsville. 

A slight pause now intervened in the conflict, both 
sides, after the terrible work of the last few hours, 
being equally willing to draw breath awhile ; and this 
gave us an opportunity to re-form our lines and close 
up our decimated ranks. The contest, meanwhile, 
.was sustained by the artillery alone, which kept up 



384 CONTINUATION OF THE BATTLE. 

a heavy cannonade ; and the nature of the ground 
being now more favourable, most of our batteries had 
been brought into action, while from a hill on our 
extreme right, which had only been abandoned by 
the enemy after the charge of Eodes's division, twenty 
12-pounder Napoleons played with a well-directed 
flank-fire upon the enemy's works, producing a terri- 
ble effect upon their dense masses. About half-past 
ten we had news from General Lee, informing us 
that, having been pressing steadily forward the entire 
morning, he had now, with Anderson's and M'Laws's 
divisions, reached our right wing. I was at once 
despatched by Stuart to the Commander-in-Chief to 
report the state of affairs, and obtain his orders for 
further proceedings. I found him with our twenty- 
gun battery, looking as calm and dignified as ever, 
and perfectly regardless of the shells bursting round 
him, and the solid shot ploughing up the ground in 
all directions. General Lee expressed himself much 
satisfied with our operations, and intrusted me with 
orders for Stuart, directing a general attack with his 
whole force, which was to be supported by a charge 
of Anderson's division on the left flank of the enemy. 
With renewed courage and confidence our three divi- 
sions now moved forward upon the enemy's strong 
position on the hills, encountering, as we emerged 
from the forest into the open opposite the plateau of 
Chancellorsville, such a storm of canister and bullets, 
that for a while it seemed an impossibility to take 
the heights in the face of it. Suddenly we heard to 
our right, piercing the roar and tumult of the battle, 
the yell of Anderson's men, whom we presently be- 
held hurled forward in a brilliant charge, sweeping 
everything before them. Short work was now made 
of the Federals, who, in a few minutes, were driven 
from their redoubts, which they abandoned in dis- 
orderly flight, leaving behind them cannons, small- 
arms, tents, and baggage in large quantities, besides a 
host of prisoners, of whom we took 360 in one redoubt. 



FINAL DEFEAT OF THE ENEMY. 385 

A more magnificent spectacle can hardly be im- 
agined than that which greeted me when I reached 
the crest of the plateau, and beheld on this side the 
long lines of our swiftly advancing troops stretching 
as far as the eye could reach, their red flags fluttering 
in the breeze, and their arms glittering in the morn- 
ing sun ; and farther on, dense and huddled masses 
of the Federals flying in utter rout towards the 
United States Ford, whilst high over our heads flew 
the shells which our artillery were dropping amidst 
the crowd of the retreating foe. The Chancellors- 
ville House had caught fire, and was now enveloped 
in flames, so that it was with difiiculty that we could 
save some portion of the Federal wounded lying 
there, to the number of several hundreds, the majo- 
rity of whom perished. In this building General 
Hooker had fixed his headquarters, and hence he had 
directed the battle, until a shell, striking the roof of 
the porch within which he stood, brought down such 
an overwhelming heap of plaster and stones upon 
his head, that he was taken up from the ground in- 
sensible, and for more than an hour was unable to 
attend to his duties. The flight and pursuit took 
the direction of United States Ford, as far as about a 
mile beyond Chancellorsville, where another strong 
line of intrenchments offered their protection to the 
fugitives, and heavy reserves of fresh troops opposed 
our further advance. 

Eight hours of severe fighting had now consider- 
ably exhausted our troops, and General Lee, having 
sent me off at about 11 o'clock A.M. to recall the ad- 
vanced division, ordered the whole army to halt and 
rest for the present. The next few hours passed away 
in comparative quietude, interrupted only at inter- 
vals by cannonading, or the more brisk firing of the 
skirmishers, and it soon became evident that the 
battle would not be renewed that day. Our men had 
in the mean time occupied themselves throwing up a 
line of intrenchments along the plank-road, as a pro- 
2 B 



386 CLOSE OF THE BATTLE. 

tection against a sudden rush of the enemy, and were 
now some of them engaged in tending the wounded 
and burying our dead, while others were busying 
themselves cooking the rations left behind them in 
abundance by the Federals. I was myself suffering 
severely from hunger, having eaten little or nothing 
for several days, and coming upon an apparently 
well-stored haversack fastened on the back of one of 
the disfigured corpses on the field, I was held back 
by no morbid loathings from helping myself to its 
contents, and enjoyed a hearty meal off the dead 
Yankee's provisions — a thing which not many months 
before would have seemed to me impossible. Even 
my negro Henry was affected with more squeamish- 
ness, for I soon afterwards met him, after he had 
been collecting a heap of plunder, which so loaded 
my poor mule Kitt as to leave only her legs visible, 
standing wistfully beside a fine pair of boots upon a 
dead Yankee's feet, and eyeing them, with his finger 
in his mouth, and a most melancholy expression of 
regret and longing on his black visage. Knowing 
how much the fellow was really in want of such 
articles, I advised him to possess himself of them 
before some one else was beforehand with him, when 
he whined out, " Oh ! I like so much to have them 
boots, but I can't ; Fse afraid de ghost of dis 'ere 
Yankee come in de night and take dem dar boots 
back agin." And nothing could persuade this gen- 
erally enterprising darkey from despoiling the dead, 
although he would have had little hesitation in cut- 
ting a living man's throat for the sake of the same 
alluring prize. 

In the course of the afternoon a heavy cannonade 
came booming over to us from Fredericksburg, and 
early in the evening it was reported to General Lee 
that, after a sanguinary conflict, our troops, yielding 
to fars uperior numbers, had been driven from the 
heights opposite that town, and the hostile forces 
were pressing forward in the direction of Chancellors- 



THE MOVEMENT OF SEDGWICK. 387 

ville. This startling intelligence, rendering our posi- 
tion now a very precarious one, was received by our 
Commander-in-Chief with a quietude, and an absence 
of all emotion, which I could not but intensely 
admire. Eeferring, with the utmost calmness, to 
Sedgwick's advance, he quietly made his disposi- 
tions, ordering M'Laws's division to march to the 
support of Early, who had been retreating to Salem 
Church — a place about five miles from Fredericks- 
burg. By this firm and tranquil demeanour did 
General Lee inspire confidence and sanguine hope 
of success in all around him. ISTotwithstanding our 
extreme fatigue, the whole of the latter part of the 
evening we were busy carrying water to the wounded, 
hundreds of whom still lay in the field, it being im- 
possible to convey so large a number to the hospitals 
before night. Nor did we cease our merciful task 
till after darkness had set in, when we returned to 
the centre of the plateau, where in the mean time 
Stuart had temporarily established his headquarters. 
Here we found General Lee and Stuart seated by a 
small bivouac-fire discussing the day's events, and 
speculating on the chances of a continuation of the 
battle; and here, too, I found my Prussian friend, 
Captain Scheibert, greatly elated over an adventure 
he had met with in the early part of the day, his 
original way of recounting which greatly amused 
us all. 

He had been riding my black horse, for which he 
had a particular affection ; and in the hope of pro- 
curing provender for it, which it much needed — 
perhaps, too, actuated by like intentions on his own 
account — he determined, after the actual fighting was 
over, to make an excursion to some of the neighbour- 
ing houses. JSTeither knowing anything of the adja- 
cent country, nor of the relative positions of the 
armies, he started off straight in the direction of the 
enemy ; and coming up to a small plantation, where 
he made sure he ohould find all he wanted, he en- 



388 A DANGEROUS ENTEEPRISE. 

countered six Yankees, armed with muskets, coming 
out of the house towards him. Scheibert, w^ell aware 
that the worst thing he could do would be to turn 
tail, with admirable presence of mind drew his 
sword ; and, flourishing it wildly over his head, rode 
up to the astonished Yankees, crying out, in broken 
English, " Surrender, you scoundrels ! all my cavalry" 
is right behind me." . The bewildered soldiers at once 
dropped their arms, and the gallant Prussian marched 
the whole six triumphantly back to General Lee, by 
whom he was highly complimented for his coolness 
and pluck. A rapid succession of despatches and 
reports reached our Commander-in-Chief during the 
night, which he had considerable difficulty in de- 
ciphering by the flickering light of the bivouac-fire. 
Like Longfellow's Ajax, his prayer was for light 
" throughout that long and dreary night." It so 
chanced that, during our advance on Chancellorsville, 
I had discovered, among other luxuries, a box of ex- 
cellent candles, which now lay a little outside our 
lines, and quite close to the enemy's skirmishers. To 
attempt the adventure with the hope of bringing t*he 
much- desired relief to the eyes of our beloved com- 
mander, was more than I could resist, so I set forward 
on foot towards the spot, crawling cautiously through 
the bushes, and, favoured by the darkness, succeeded 
in finding the box, and providing myself with a suffi- 
cient provision of candles, without attracting the 
attention of the enemy's videttes. On reaching the 
temporary headquarters, and presenting my prize to 
General Lee, he eyed me with his calm penetrating 
glance, and said, " Major, I am much obliged to you ; 
but I know where you got these candles, and you 
acted wrongly in exposing your life for a simple act 
of courtesy." I willingly submitted to the rebuke, 
only too happy to have been able personally to 
oblige one whom we all so much admired, and for 
whom not one of us but would gladly have risked 
his life. k 



SUCCESSES OF M'LAWS AND EAELY. 389 

During the night we were allowed but little sleep, 
frequent alarms calling us into the saddle ; moreover, 
the place which Stuart had selected for our repose, 
because it was close to the centre of our lines, being 
also exactly in range of the hostile artillery, Avhicli 
opened whenever the skirmishing grew louder, we 
were several times roused from our slumbers by 
shells plunging all around us, one of which, actually 
burst in the top of a cherry-tree under which I re- 
posed, covering me with a litter of torn and scattered 
branches. Not more than 150 yards from us, in and 
around a large barn, were collected more than 300 
Federal wounded, and the tenement which sheltered 
them being ever and anon struck by the cannon- 
balls, the pitiful cries of the poor fellows, many of 
whom were finally despatched, while others received 
fresh wounds, added to the horrors and confusion of 
this dreadful night. The morning of the 4th was 
fraught, in like manner, with excitement and dis- 
quiet ; at times the skirmishing and the cannonade 
which followed it grew so warm as to lead, until 
about ten o'clock, to the expectation of an advance 
of the Federal army. About noon, however, every- 
thing sank into tranquillity again, and we were en- 
abled to continue our ministrations towards the 
wounded, and to bury our dead. All the Federal 
dead, however, as well as the innumerable carcasses 
of animals, still encumbered the ground, and the 
effluvium was already growing unpleasant. But I 
will not attempt to go into the horrors of this battle- 
field ; they surpassed all that I had ever seen before, 
the fearful effect of the artillery firing going beyond 
all that had occurred on any previous occasion. In 
the course of the afternoon we received cheerful news 
of the proceedings of M'Laws and Early, who, attack- 
ing the enemy simultaneously, had succeeded in 
forcing them back upon Fredericksburg, retaking the 
heights, and finally, by a spirited attack, driving the 
whole of Sedgwick's corps to the other side of the 



390 PREPARATIONS FOR RENEWED ATTACK. 

river. Several ammunition and provision trains, be- 
sides prisoners, had fallen into our hands, and, but 
for the extreme caution of our generals, the whole of 
this portion of the hostile forces- might have been 
annihilated. 

The night of this day passed over much in the 
same way as its predecessor, and was followed by a 
misty, sultry morning ; and this kind of weather 
promoting the process of putrefaction, the air was 
poisoned Avith emanations from the dead to such an 
extent as to be almost insupportable. There being, 
moreover, danger of the men's health being affected, 
all that could be spared from the front were employed 
burying the hundreds of disfigured corpses. The 
enemy being very quiet all the morning, Stuart, sus- 
pecting a retrograde movement of their army, ordered 
our skirmishers to advance, who discovered soon 
enough, however, that the Federals were still in large 
force m our front, and posted beliind works of a formid- 
able character. Accordingly, after a severe skirmish, 
accompanied by a heavy cannonade, lasting more than 
an hour, our men were withdrawn to their original 
position. The afternoon brought a sudden change in 
the weather; the temperature fell considerably for the 
season of the year, and hea\y ram, with violent winds, 
continued all the evening and a great part of the night. 
Meanwhile General Lee had determined to assault 
the enemy in their strong position. M'Laws's and 
Anderson's divisions had already approached United 
States Ford on the 5th, by a circuitous march, thus 
menacing the left flank and line of retreat of the 
Federal army; and at earliest dawn on the 6th Jack- 
son's corps received orders to advance, Eodes's divi- 
sion taking the lead. My own instructions from 
General Stuart having been to move forward with 
the skirmishers and reconnoitre the enemy's position 
as closely as possible, 1 cautiously made my way 
through the woods, expecting at every instant to hear 
the skirmishers open fire, followed by the thunder of 



THE ENEMY AGAIN ESCAPE US. 391 

tlie artillery; but finding all quiet, I continued to 
advance until I reached the formidable intrench- 
ments thrown up by the Federals, extending several 
miles, which I found they had entirely abandoned, 
leaving behind in them a large quantity of ammuni- 
tion and stores of provisions, which they had not 
taken time to destroy. Just as I was entering the 
fortifications, General Eodes rode up, saying, " I am 
sure the enemy is in full retreat, and is probably by 
this time on the other side of the river." Both of 
us being equally eager to discover what had really 
become of the great Federal army, we galloped off 
entirely by ourselves along the muddy road, leaving 
everybody behind. 

General Hooker had done wonders amidst the 
difficulties of this wild entangled forest. Works of 
great strength, and extent had been constructed at 
nearly every quarter of a mile's distance ; roads had 
been cut and cleared through the dense undergrowth, 
along which telegraph wires were laid to the princi- 
pal headquarters of the army; and wdierever branch- 
roads turned off to the different corps, divisions, and 
brigades, large signs were conspicuously erected to 
guard against mistakes or confusion. Notwithstand- 
ing these wise precautions, however, considerable 
numbers of the Yankee soldiers became mazed 
amidst these extensive woods, and we continually 
encountered them along our route, sometimes in 
squads of six or eight. These poor devils, all bespat- 
tered with mud, and soaked to their skins by the 
drenching rain, not recognising us as enemies, our 
grey uniforms being concealed beneath large india- 
rubber cloaks, innocently accosted us to inquire the 
way towards their regiments, and on discovering 
our real character, surrendered with alacrity, laying 
down their arms, and marching off raj)idly to the 
rear at our request, as submissively as though they 
had been our own men. General Eodes and I in 
this way captured, merely our two selves, more than 



392 SKILFUL RETREAT OF THE ENEMY. 

sixty of these stragglers, wlio, had they been tempted 
to act at all pliickily, might easily either have killed 
or made prisoners of us both. We had not far to 
ride in order to discover that the hostile army had 
entirely disappeared from our side of the Eappahan- 
nock ; and as we approached the river, we could 
just catch sight of their rearguard climbing the hills 
on the opposite shore, where several batteries of 
artillery were placed in position, while a number of 
riflemen were posted along the banks of the stream. 
"With tliese our sharpshooters, on coming up, became 
engaged in a slight skirmish, and we were favoured 
with several shots from the hostile batteries ; but 
soon even these parting tokens of farewell from 
Hooker's great army were discontinued, and, vanish- 
ing entirely, it ceased to give forth any sign. 

Seeing his army greatly demoralised by a succes- 
sion of defeats, and all his plans and combinations 
frustrated. General Hooker had already on the pre- 
vious day determined to withdraw his troops to the 
other side of the Eappahannock, the waters of which 
were rapidly rising, and threatened to carry away the 
pontoon-bridges, and render retreat impossible. The 
retroo-rade movement was commenced at about dusk 
on the 5th, and was conducted with considerable 
order ; the bridges had been covered with layers of 
twigs and small branches, in order to deaden the 
rumbling sound of the artillery and trains passing 
over them, while the heavy fall of rain during the 
evening, followed up by bursts of thunder-storm in 
the night, completely masked the sounds of the 
retreating hosts, whose movements, exactly as at 
Fredericksburg under similar circumstances, entirely 
escaped the vigilance of our pickets. As Hooker was 
retracing his course back towards his old position 
near Falmouth, so did our troops commence at about 
noon their march towards their old camping-ground 
near Fredericksburg. A. P. Hill, having now entirely 
recovered from his slight wound, assumed the com- 



LOSSES ON BOTH SIDES IN THESE BATTLES. 393 

mand of Jackson's corps ; and as his men marcbed 
past us they spontaneously raised an enthusiastic 
cheer for General Stuart, thus testifying their ad- 
miration of the gallant chief who had led them so 
splendidly against the enemy, and directed them to 
the achievement of a brilliant victory, and one for 
which, in my opinion, Stuart never gained sufficient 
credit from his superiors. Thus ended the battle of 
Chancellorsville, and the short but decisive spring- 
campaign. The losses of the Federal army amounted 
to at least 20,000 men, of whom nearly 8000 were 
made prisoners. There were captured, besides, thirty 
pieces of artillery, large quantities of ammunition, and 
more than 30,000 stand of small-arms. The loss on 
our side was severe, amounting to nearly 10,000 men 
in prisoners, killed, and wounded — our beloved and 
ever-famous Stonewall being among the latter, a fact 
which filled every soldier's heart with grief It was not 
at that time at all anticipated that Jackson's wounds 
would end fatally ; and several days after the unfortu- 
nate incident, I heard from the mouth of the surgeon 
who attended him, that the General was doing very 
well, and that from the state of his health at that 
time there was every prospect of his speedy recovery. 
General Hooker, after all his disasters, had the 
audacity to speak of his operations as successful ; and, 
in order to blind the eyes of the North to the true 
state of affairs, he ended the campaign by issuing to 
his soldiers an order congratulating them on their 
achievements and success. 



394 WE START IN PURSUIT OF STONEMAN. 



CHAPTEE XXIIL 

START AFTER STONEMAN — I AM REPORTED KILLED — HEAD- 
QUARTERS NEAR ORANGE COURT-HOUSE — STONEWALL JACK- 
SON' S DEATH — REORGANISATION OF THE ARMY — HEAD- 
QUARTERS ONCE MORE AT CULPEPPER — GREAT REVIEW OF 
THE CAVALRY CORPS — GREAT CAVALRY BATTLE AT BRANDY 
STATION, 9TH JUNE 1S63. 

Whilst the bulk of our army was marching in the 
direction of Fredericksburg, General Stuart and his 
Staff started with Fitz Lee's brigade towards Spot- 
sylvania Court-house, where we arrived late in the 
evening, and our regiment went into bivouac. Quite 
close to the camp was Mr F/s plantation ; here, dur- 
ing the winter, I had been a frequent visitor, and in 
consideration of the hardships and fatigues we had 
already undergone, General Stuart acceded to my 
friend's invitation to make his house our headquarters 
for the night. Accordingly the supper-hour found 
us all assembled round Mr F.'s hospitable and well- 
furnished board, the honours of which were done by 
the pretty young ladies of the family; and under 
these advantageous circumstances we once more 
relished the comforts of life with a zest which only 
soldiers feel after the privations of a rough campaign. 
It seemed that I had but just lain down to sleep 
when I heard Stuart's voice in the morning calling 
me up to ride with him to General Lee's, whose 
headquarters were fixed in the old spot near Fred- 
ericksburg. Here we first heard of Stoneman's raid 
in the direction of Ptichmond. Leaving one of his 
brigades to occupy William Lee's command, the 
General, with a body of several thousand cavalry, 
had crossed the Eapidan, struck the Eichmond- 
Gordonsville Eailway at Louisa Court-house, and, 
pushing to within four miles of the Confederate capi- 
tal, had taken a multitude of negroes and horses, 



PUKCHASE OF A NEW CHARGER. 395 

capturing, besides, a number of trains, and several 
hundreds of our wounded soldiers on their way to 
the hospitals. Both our lines of railway communica- 
tion having been damaged, and the telegraph wires 
cut, it was not till unfortunately late that we received 
this disastrous news. In the hope there might yet be 
a chance of cutting off the retreat of the Federal raid- 
ers, our Commander-in-Chief ordered Stuart to set out 
at once in pursuit of them ; and a few hours later we 
were making our way through the woods with Titz 
Lee's brigade in the direction of Gordonsville. After 
marching all night, we learned at daybreak that the 
whole Federal raiding force, turning from Eichmond 
towards the White House, had crossed the Pamunkey 
river, and was now entirely beyond our reach. This, 
of course, completely altered the plans of our General ; 
and as we were then not far from Orange Court- 
house, where our trains had been ordered to assemble, 
and we were sure to find supplies both for man and 
beast, thither, after a short rest, it was determined to 
march. None more than myself welcomed the order 
to halt, for the only charger I had now left was com- 
pletely broken down, and my servant Henry, leading 
a Yankee horse I had captured after Chancellorsville, 
was still far off. Badly off as I was in this particular, 
I was delighted to hear of a magnificent horse for 
sale at a plantation in Louisa County ; and permis- 
sion having been readily granted me by General 
Stuart, I set off thither, accompanied by one of our 
couriers as a guide, and a few hours later the com- 
mand continued its march towards Orange. On 
reacliing my destination, I found the animal far 
exceeded all my expectations. He was a tall 
thoroughbred bay, of beautiful form and action, and 
the price demanded being comparatively cheap — 
namely, a thousand dollars — I at once concluded 
the bargain ; and after spending the rest of the day 
and the night beneath Mr T.'s hospitable roof, I rode 
off towards Orange just as the first cheerful beams 



396 KUMOUR OF MY DEATH. 

of tlie morning sun were darting through the fresh 
green masses of the gigantic chestnuts and heeches 
which hemmed round the plantation, happy in the 
consciousness that the fine animal curvetting under 
me with such elastic steps was my own. As, en route, 
I had to pass by the little village of Verdiersville, 
where, it will be remembered, I had such a narrow 
escape in August '62, I stopped to pay my respects 
to the kind lady who had so courageously assisted 
me in my retreat. I had never failed to do so when- 
ever chance brought me to the neighbourhood, and 
always found myself received with the most cordial 
welcome. On this occasion, however, I was not des- 
tined to meet the same kind of reception ; for, instead 
of the cheerful greeting to which I had been accus- 
tomed, the old lady, as soon as she caught sight of me, 
turned suddenly pale, and, with a loud shriek, fled into 
the house. Puzzled beyond measure at so extraordin- 
ary a proceeding, I pressed for an explanation, when a 
Richmond paper was handed to me and my attention 
directed to a paragraph commencing, " Among those 
who fell at the battle of Chancellorsville we regret to 
report the death of Major von Borcke," &c. Here 
followed a flattering estimate of my personal quali- 
ties, and a minute account of my death. My amiable 
friend was so firmly impressed with the fact of my 
demise, that when I accosted her she believed it was 
my ghost ; and even during our subsequent interview 
I found some difiiculty in persuading her of my 
identity. The rumour of my having been killed 
spread over the whole country, and was accepted as 
true by every part of our army where I had not been 
seen since the battle, and the regret expressed at my 
loss, and manifest pleasure exhibited by both soldiers 
and citizens to know me still among them, admin- 
istered not a little to my self-esteem. Beside the 
many letters of condolence and offers received by 
Stuart on my account, greatly to his amusement, 
a request was despatched by Governor Letcher 



DEATH OF STONEWALL JACKSON. 397 

to General Lee to have my body forwarded, and 
claiming the privilege of having it interred with 
all the honours of the State of Virginia. To this 
demand, General Lee sent the following charac- 
teristic reply: "Cant spare it: it's in pursuit of 
Stoneman/' 

Our headquarters were established on one of the 
hills forming a semicircle round one side of the beau- 
tiful little valley in which the pleasant village of 
Orange Court-house is situated, and we overlooked 
the town, as well as a great part of the rich country 
around it, clad in the fresh bright verdure of May. 
The weather was perfect; provisions of every sort 
were abundant, and men and beasts were rapidly re- 
covering from the fatigues and privations of the late 
rough campaign. Orange enjoys an enviable renown 
for the beauty of its women; and in the female 
society which it afforded we took every opportunity 
our duties permitted to pass a few agreeable hours, 
which were sometimes devoted to dancing and some- 
times to horseback excursions. A cloud soon came 
over our happiness, however, in the sad news of the 
death of our beloved Stonewall Jackson, who expired 
on the 9th, partially from his wounds, but more 
directly from pneumonia, the result of a severe cold 
which he caught on the night when he was struck, 
and which the treatment he insisted on adopting 
rendered thus fatal.* Lew men have ever been 
more regretted — few more respected by foe, no less 
than friend, than was Stonewall Jackson ; and his sol- 
diers grieved over his death as though they had been 
bereft of a father. To me it was a sad blow to lose 
at once a kind and dear friend and a leader for 

* The immediate cause of Jackson's death is not generally 
known. 1 received the particulars of it from Dr M'Guire, who 
attended the General, and who told me that, against his urgent 
dissuasion, he had insisted on treating his cold by the application 
of wet blankets, which so aggravated its severity that, weakened 
as was his system by loss of blood and the shock of amputation, 
this imprudence became fatal. 



398 SKETCH OF HIS CHARACTER. 

whom I felt the heartiest admiration. Brought so 
frequently into contact with this great soldier in the 
field of battle, or in camp, where he often shared his 
blankets with me when I had come to him late at 
night, bringing in my reports, or applying for orders, 
I had every opportunity of estimating, both in its 
grandeur and in its familiar traits, his noble and 
generous character. Jackson had certain whimsical 
peculiarities which exhibited themselves in his man- 
ner and in his dress, but most of the stories current 
at the time, turning upon his eccentricities, were 
entire fabrications. He was a sincerely pious man, 
but without a taint of Puritanism, and enjoyed the 
pleasures of life and a harmless joke as much as 
anybody. His conversation was lively and fascinat- 
ing, and he would often chime in with us in our 
merry talk and laughter round the camp-fires. For 
General Lee his admiration and affection were alike 
unbounded ; and, in the native modesty of his char- 
acter, he as persistently undervalued his own ser- 
vices. Concerning these he would often say, ''All 
the credit of my successes belongs to General Lee ; 
they were his plans on which I acted, and I only 
executed his orders." But General Lee knew full 
well how to appreciate the great military qualities 
of his lieutenant, and the value of his assistance ; 
and when the news reached him of the hero's 
death, he exclaimed, "It would have been better 
for tlie country if I had fallen rather than Stone- 
wall Jackson." The sad intelligence was officially 
communicated to his mourning army by the Com- 
mander-in-Chief in the following order, dated the 
11th :— 

"The daring will and energy of this great and 
good soldier, by a decree of an all-wise Providence, 
are now lost to us ; but while we mourn his death, 
we feel that his spirit Hves, and will inspire the 
whole army with his indomitable courage and un- 



EEORGANISATION OF THE ARMY. 399 

shaken confidence in God, as our hope and our 
strength. Let his name be a watchword for his 
corps, who have followed him to victory in so many 
fields. Let officers and soldiers imitate his invincible 
determination to do everything in the defence of our 
beloved country. 

" E. E. Lee." 

According to his wish, Jackson's remains were 
buried at Lexington, Virginia, wdiere in his simple 
grave he now sleeps, wdiile his memory lives fresh in 
the hearts of all who knew him, and both hemi- 
spheres regard him as the greatest of those who fell 
for their principles in this gigantic civil war. 

The remaining weeks of the beautiful month of 
May passed away in quiet, so far as regards any 
interruption on the part of the enemy; but were 
actively employed in preparations for the summer 
campaign, and in reorganising our whole army, the 
ranks of which were rapidly filled by the return of 
the absentees, and strengthened by the arrival of 
numerous reinforcements — Longstreet having been 
recalled with his two divisions from North Carolina, 
and several brigades joined to these from Beaure- 
gard's army. The army of Northern Virginia was 
now divided into three equal and distinct corps, 
each numbering about 20,000 men. Longstreet com- 
manded the 1st corps, consisting of Hood's, M'Laws's, 
and Picket's divisions ; Ewell the 2d, consisting of 
Early's, Eodes's, and Johnson's divisions, formerly 
under Jackson's command, and now committed to 
this general in accordance with a request made by 
Stonewall on his deathbed, in his solicitude for the 
welfare of his veterans. The 3d corps w^as placed 
under the command of A. P. Hill, and was formed of 
Anderson's, Pender's, and Heth's divisions. The cav- 
alry, which had also been strengthened by several 
new brigades from the South, was formed into a separ- 
ate corps of three divisions, commanded by Hampton, 



400 OUR NEW CAMPIXG-GROUND. 

Fitz Lee, and William Lee. About tlie 18th of Alay, 
General Lee, who had continued to confront the 
enemy at Fredericksburg, began gradually to shift 
the position of his troops towards Gordonsville and 
Orange. The cavalry had to give place to the in- 
fantry, and on the 20th we received orders to march 
to Culpepper Court-house, where we established our 
headquarters, close to the old camping ground, sta- 
tioning our divisions nearer the river, which was 
again closely picketed. Our tents were pitched in a 
beautiful spot, overshadowed by magnificent hickory 
and tulip-poplar trees, and surrounded by broad 
clover fields, where our horses were richly pastured, 
and through which the pretty little river " Mountain 
Eun" rolled its silver waters between picturesque 
banks, and afforded us the chance of a magnificent 
cool bath, and plenty of sport with the rod and line. 
Our cavalry were in the highest spirits, and were 
kept in constant and salutary activity by incessant 
drilling and other preparations for the impending 
campaign. Hundreds of men flocked in daily from 
their distant homes, bringing with them fresh horses. 
General Eobertson had joined us with his splendid 
brigade from North Carolina, as also had General 
Jones, with his command from the valley of Vir- 
ginia ; and nearly all the men of Hampton's division 
had returned from South Carolina and Mississippi. 
Our horse artillery, under command of Pelham's suc- 
cessor. Major E afkha m, had been augmented by sev- 
eral batteries, and the old ones had been supplied 
with fresh horses, so that altogether we now pos- 
sessed a more numerous and better equipped force 
than ever before. 

We all looked with pride upon this magnificent 
body of troops ; and as a review had been ordered 
for the 5th of June, all the commencement of the 
month we were busy preparing for that important 
event. Invitations having been sent out to the 
whole circle of our acquaintances far and near, the 



\>\jucJ^]l^J^ 



EECEPTION OF GUESTS. 401 

hotels of the town, and as many private houses as 
had any accommodation to spare, were got ready for 
the reception of our guests, many of whom, after all, 
we had to put under tents. Among those we ex- 
pected on this occasion, was General Eandolph, the 
former Secretary of War, a warm friend of Stuart's 
and mine, and to whom it will be remembered I was 
indebted for so much kindness on my first arrival in 
Eichmond. Gladly eager to give him a proof of my 
esteem, and the sense I had of his kindness, I started 
off on the morning of the 4th for Gordonsville, to 
meet our friend on his road, and I had the pleasure 
of bringing him by special train into Culpepper with 
all honours, our battle-flag floating from the locomo- 
tive. Every train that afternoon brought in fresh 
crowds of our guests, and we all assembled at the 
station to receive them, and forward them to their 
destination by the ambulances and waggons we had 
got prepared for that purpose. In the evening there 
was a ball at the Town Hall, which went off plea- 
santly enough, although it was not, in the language 
of the reporter, "a gay and dazzling scene, illumi- 
nated by floods of light streaming from numerous 
chandeliers," for our supply of light was limited to a 
few tallow candles ; and when the moon rose, we 
were glad to avail ourselves of her services by ad- 
journing to the spacious verandah. As the morning 
of the 5th dawned bright and beautiful, we completed 
our preparations, and gave the last touch to our 
arms and equipments ; and about eight o'clock Gen- 
eral Stuart and his Staff* mounted their horses and 
made for the plains of Brandy Station, which that 
day were for once to be the scene, not of a battle in 
all its sanguinary tumult, but of a military spectacle 
comparatively peaceful in character. Our little band 
presented a gay and gallant appearance as we rode 
forth to the sound of our bugles, all mounted on fine 
chargers, and clad in our best accoutrements, our 
plumes nodding, and our battle-flag waving in the 
2c 



402 GREAT CAVALRY REVIEW. 

breeze. I myself had on a uniform new from head 
to foot; and the horse on which I was mounted 
seemed to me in the very perfection of beauty as it 
danced with springing step upon the turf, its glossy 
coat shining like burnished gold in the morning sun. 
As our approach was heralded by the flourish of 
trumpets, many of the ladies in the village came 
forth to greet us from the porches and verandahs of 
the houses, and showered do^^Ti flowers upon our path. 
But if the smiles and patriotic demonstrations of the 
daughters of old Virginia were pleasant and flattering 
to us as mortal men, not less grateful to our soldiers' 
hearts were the cheers of more than 12,000 horse- 
men, which rose in the air as we came upon the open 
plain near Brandy Station, where the whole cavalry 
corps awaited us, drawn out in a line a mile and a 
half long, at the extreme right of which twenty-four 
guns of our horse-artillery thundered forth a salute. 
About ten o'clock the marching past commenced. 
General Stuart had taken up his position on a slight 
eminence, whither many hundreds of spectators, 
mostly ladies, had gathered, in ambulances and on 
horseioack, anxiously awaiting the approach of the 
troops. The corps passed first by squadrons, and at 
a walk, and the magnificent spectacle of so many 
thousand troopers splendidly mounted made the 
heart swell with pride, and impressed one with the 
conviction that nothing could resist the attack of 
such a body of troops. The review ended with a 
sham charge of the whole corps by regiments, tlie 
artillery advancing at the same time at a gallop, and 
opening a rapid fire upon an imaginary enemy. The 
day wound up with a ball ; but as the night was fine 
we danced in the open air on a piece of turf near our 
headquarters, and by the light of enormous wood- 
fires, the ruddy glare of which upon the animated 
groups of our assembly gave to the whole scene a 
wild and romantic eff"ect. 

Our army havmg been all this while slowly ap- 



DEMONSTRATION OF THE ENEMY. 403 

proacliing Culpepper, division after division, on the 
7tli we marched by order of General Lee, who was 
now among us, closer to the Eappahannock, taking 
up our headquarters on the heights near Brandy 
Station. Next day the cavalry corps had the honour 
of being reviewed by our Commander-in-Chief, but 
this time the spectators were no longer ladies, our 
fair visitors having departed, biit the whole of Hood's 
division, amounting to about 10,000 men, who were 
present as lookers-on, at their own request. No sooner 
was the review over than a courier galloped up with 
the report that the enemy had made his appearance 
in strong force on the river. This called us at once 
to the front with several brigades, and for a time we 
were in momentary expectation of a serious engage- 
ment. After some demonstrations, however, at the 
different fords, which were promptly met by our 
pickets, the Yankees disappeared again, and our 
troops marched back to their camps. On my return 
to headquarters I found, to my intense disgust, that 
my negro servant Harry having, against orders, turned 
two of my horses and Kitt my mule loose, they had 
straggled off, and every effort to find them had till 
then failed. To lose my steeds thus, on the very eve 
of active operations, was a serious affair ; horses were 
stolen daily, and among the thousands of animals 
assembled around us, it was a difficult matter to find 
them again. I was the more put out, as by bad luck 
I had been splendidly mounted, having, besides my 
new purchase, which was still left me, two fine char- 
gers — a stout bay which I had from Major Berkham, 
the chief of our horse-artillery, in exchange for my 
captured Yankee horse, and my old black, which w^as 
now in fine condition. All the rest of the day was 
spent in further efforts to discover the stray animals, 
till at last I returned late at night, tired and out of 
humour, to the camp. 

After a few hours' sleep I was awakened about da}^- 
break by the sound of several cannon-shots. In an 



404 PLANS AND COUNTER-PLANS. 

instant I was on my legs, and stepping ont of my tent 
I distinctly heard a brisk firing of small-arms in the 
direction of the river. An orderly shortly afterwards 
rode np, reporting that the enemy, under cover of the 
fog, had suddenly fallen upon our pickets, had crossed 
the river in strong force at several points, and pressed 
forward so rapidly that they had come upon Jones's 
brigade before the greater part of the men had had 
time to saddle their horses. It was fortunate that 
the shar]3shooters of this command, seconded by a 
section of our horse-artillery, were enabled by a well- 
directed fire to impede the movements of the attack- 
ing foe, so as to give our regiments time to form, and 
by falling back some distance to take up a position 
further to the rear. It was evident, both to General 
Stuart and myself, that the intentions of the Federals 
in this movement were of a serious character, and 
that they were determined on making a further ad- 
vance, although we differed in opinion as to the best 
way of opposing resistance to them. The General 
wished to march with his whole force against the 
enemy, and fight them wherever he might meet them. 
My proposal was to place the greater part of the 
cofps and our 24 guns on the heights, and wait there 
till the designs of the Yankees, who were stiU hidden 
by the woods, and their numbers, should be more 
clearly disclosed, and then, by offering a feint with a 
few of our advanced brigades, to draw them towards 
us. As no favourable position for their artillery 
would be found in the plains, our guns would play 
with great effect on their dense ranks when they 
emerged into the open before us, and for once our 
horsemen would have a chance of showing their 
superiority over the hostile cavalry by a united 
charge of our whole force. But Stuart's ardour 
was impatient of delay; and being, besides, under 
the impression that to allow the enemy to proceed 
further would let them know too much of the posi- 
tion of our infantry, which it was our duty to cover. 



SUDDEN PANIC AND FLIGHT. 405 

he resolved to move at once against the advancing 
foe, and gave me orders to ride to the front and rap- 
idly reconnoitre the state of affairs, while he would 
follow as quickly as the troops could be brought into 
action. Major Berkham had hastily placed some of 
his batteries in position upon an eminence which I 
had just passed, and was reaching a patch of wood 
where Jones's men were engaged in a sharp skirmish 
with the Federals, when in overwhelming numbers 
they made a sudden dash upon the most advanced 
regiment of that brigade, which broke in utter confu- 
sion, carrying everything with them in their flight. 
A scene of disgraceful stampede ensued — single horse- 
men galloped off the field in all directions, waggons 
and ambulances which had been detained to carry 
off camp utensils rattled over the ground, while with 
loud shouts of victory a dense mass of Federal horse- 
men broke forth from the woods. At this critical 
moment Berkham opened a rapid fire, throwing such 
a shower of canister and grape at close range upon 
the pursuing host, that they recoiled and retired 
again into the forest, thus affording an opportunity 
of rallying and re-forming our demoralised troops. 
Just as the confusion was at its very height, my eye 
alighted on my little mule Ki^t, on which one of the 
waggoners was mounted, and was passing me at full 
speed. The temptation to recover this valuable piece 
of property was not to be withstood, even under the 
exciting circumstances of the occasion ; and quickly 
overtaking the fellow, I ordered him to give up my 
property, but the fear of falling into the hands of the 
enemy so possessed the poor devil that he begged to 
be allowed to bring it back to me at headquarters. 
Thinking, however, it was only a just punishment on 
him to let him make good his escape by the aid of 
his own legs, I made him dismount, and sent Kitt to 
the rear by one of the couriers who accompanied me, 
where Henry greeted the return of his favourite with 
every mark of delight. All our brigades having now 



406 THE EKEMY IN OUR EEAE. 

arrived from the more distant camps, our line of 
battle, nearly three miles in length, could be regu- 
larly formed ; and along the woods which border the 
Eappahannock the multitudinous firing of our dis- 
mounted sharpshooters sounded like the rattle of 
musketry in a regular battle. We held our ground 
tolerably well for some time, but it soon became evi- 
dent that the enemy were in far superior numbers 
and supported by infantry, large columns of which 
were reported by William Lee, who commanded on 
our extreme left, to be crossing the river. Towards 
this point I was sent by General Stuart to watch the 
movements of the enemy, with orders to send a re- 
port every quarter of an hour by one of the body of 
couriers whom I took with me. William Lee's brig- 
ade was placed on a ridge of hills, with its skirmishers 
on the river-bank and along a formidable stone fence 
running across an open field, over which the Federals 
advanced in strong numbers, but 'were again and 
again repulsed as soon as they came within range of 
our sharpshooters, who were well seconded by the 
accurate firing of one of our batteries on the heights. 
Buried in the deep grass, William Lee and I lay close 
to our guns watching the progress of the battle, when 
we were startled by a heavy cannonade in our rear, 
apparently in the direction of our headquarters at 
Brandy Station. Thither I hastened off at once, 
promising General Lee to send him information as 
soon as I had discovered the state of affairs. From 
some stragglers who galloped past me as I approached 
the station, I gathered, in a confused way, that the 
Federals were in our rear. To this report I gave 
little credit, but on emermncr from the forest I found 
that they had only spoken the truth, for there a sight 
awaited me which made the blood run cold in my 
veins. The heights of Brandy and the spot where 
our headquarters had been were perfectly swarming 
with Yankees, while the men of one of our brigades 
were scattered wide over the plateau, chased in all 



THE FUGITIVES ARRESTED. 407 

directions by their enemies. Seeing one of our regi- 
ments still in line, but already swerving and on the 
point of breaking, Xj:ode up to the Colonel, who 
seemed to have lost all presence of mind, and threat- 
ened to arrest him on the spot, and to prefer a charge 
of cowardice against him, if he did not at once lead 
his men on to the attack. This had the desired effect, 
and with a faint cheer the regiment galloped forward 
against the enemy ; but two hostile regiments start- 
ing to meet us, the space we were charging over 
diminished with increasing rapidity, until at last, 
when only a hundred yards apart, our disheartened 
soldiers broke and fled in shameful confusion. Car- 
ried along for a moment by the torrent of fugitives, 
I perceived that we were hastening towards an open- 
ing in a fence which had been made to facilitate the 
movements of our artillery, and, soon outstripping 
the rest by the fleetness of my charger, I reached the 
gap, and placed myself in the centre, calling out to 
them that I would kill every man who tried to pass 
me, and knocking over with the flat of my sabre two 
of those who had ventured too near me. This had 
the effect of arresting the flight for a time, and I then 
managed to rally round me about a hundred of these 
same men whom, on this identical ground, I had, 
on a previous occasion, led to victory. " Men ! " I 
shouted, "remember your previous deeds on these 
very fields ; follow me — charge ! " and, putting spurs 
into my charger's flanks, the noble animal bounded 
forth against the Federals, who were now close upon 
us, but whose lines, by the length of the pursuit, had 
become very loose. The very same men, however, 
who had fought so gallantly with me before had lost 
all self-confidence, and after following me a short 
distance, they turned again to flight, abruptly leaving 
me quite a,Ione in the midst of the charging foe. A 
great hulking Yankee corporal, with some eight or 
ten men, immediately gave chase after me, calling on 
me to surrender, and discharging their carbines and 



408 RENEWED PANIC AND NARROW ESCAPE. 

revolvers in my direction. Not heeding this sum- 
mons, I urged my horse to its highest speed ; and now 
turning to the rear myself, and clearing the fence at 
a part where it was too high for them to follow, I 
soon left my pursuers far behind. I had not galloped 
many hundred yards further, however, when I over- 
took Captain White of our Staff, who had received a 
shot-wound in his neck, and was so weak as scarcely 
to be able to keep himself up in the saddle. Having 
to support my wounded comrade, whom I was deter- 
mined to save, retarded my pace considerably, and 
several times the shouts and yells of the Yankees 
sounded so close at our horses' heels that I gave up 
all hope of escape. Suddenly, however, the Yankees 
gave up the pursuit, and I was enabled to draw bridle 
after a very exciting run. A courier happening to 
pass, I left Captain White in his charge, and hastened 
once more to the front, full of anxiety as to the final 
result of the conflict. To my great astonishment, as 
I rode on I could see nothing of the enemy ; and, by 
the time I had reached the plateau of Brand}^, I found 
the state of affairs had taken an entirely altered 
aspect. Instead of a menacing host of Federals, their 
dead and wounded thickly strewed the ground : one 
of their batteries, every horse of which had been 
killed, stood abandoned ; and to the right, far away, 
a confused mass of fugitives were seen closely pursued 
by our men, over whose heads our artillery were 
throwing shell after shell on the retreating foe. I 
was not long in meeting with General Stuart, whom 
I found directing the operations from the highest 
part of the plateau. I was informed by him that the 
portion of Federal cavalry which had rendered our 
position so critical had consisted of two brigades, 
commanded by General Perry Windham, an English- 
man in the Yankee service, who, by taking a circui- 
tous route along an unguarded bridle-path, had suc- 
ceeded in taking us in the rear, so causing all the 
confusion and panic which had very nearly decided 



DECISIVE KEPULSE OF THE YANKEES. 409 

the fate of the day. But just when the danger was 
at the highest and the stampede in full career — 
namely, at the very crisis I was unfortunate enough 
to witness — the Georgia regiment of Hampton's old 
brigade, under its commander, the gallant Colonel 
YouDg, and the 11th Virginia, under Colonel Loniax, 
had come up to the succour, and, throwing themselves 
with an impetuous charge on the temporary victors, 
had completely routed and driven them to flight, 
many killed and wounded, as well as prisoners, 
besides a battery, being left behind. General AVind- 
ham himself was shot through the leg during the 
short melee, and had a narrow escape from capture ; 
and several colonels and other officers were among 
the dead. The flight of the Federals had been so 
sudden and headlong that it gave rise to a number of 
odd incidents, among which may be recalled an acci- 
dent which befell one of their buglers, who, in the 
blindness of his hurry, rode straight up against an 
old ice-house, breaking through the wooden partition, 
and tumbling headlong, horse and all, into the deep 
hole within. The horse was killed on the spot, but 
the rider escaped miraculously, and w^as hauled up 
with ropes amidst shouts of laughter from the by- 
standers at so ridiculous an adventure of battle. 

The greater part of our corps was now placed 
along the ridge, in exactly the position I had recom- 
mended in the morning, whilst further* ofi, in the 
plains below, were arrayed in line of battle many 
thousand Federal cavalry, supported by two of their 
divisions of infantry, whose glittering bayonets could 
be easily discerned as they deployed from the distant 
woods. Meanwhile our Commander-in-Chief had 
arrived at the scene of action, and a division of our 
infantry had come up to our support, which was still 
in the woods about a quarter of a mile to the rear, 
but quite in readiness to act when necessary. The 
time was now about four in the afternoon, and the 
fire, which in our immediate front had gradually 



410 FURTHER PREPARATIONS FOR BATTLE. 

slackened to a desultory . skirmishing of the dis- 
mounted sharpshooters, but supported by a regular 
cannonade, grew hotter and hotter on the left, where 
William Lee, who had given up his original position 
soon after I left him, was slowly falling back before 
the enemy, turning and giving battle whenever too 
closely pressed by his pursuers. This splendid com- 
mand could just be seen emerging from the woods 
on our left, where Jones's brigade was drawn up to 
support it, when Stuart, thinking the time had come 
for an aggressive movement, sent me off' to order the 
two brigades to move forward in a united charge 
upon the pursuing enemy. Feeling that prompt 
action was necessary, I rode down the hillside with 
incautious speed, and my horse, broken down by the 
excessive exertions of the day, stumbled and rolled 
heavily over with me. Stuart, believing that horse 
and rider were struck down by a cannon-ball, or- 
dered some couriers to my assistance, and was just 
sending off some one else with the orders I was 
charged with, when the animal regained its legs, 
and, vaulting quickly into the saddle, I started off 
again faster than before. About fifty yards further, 
coming upon very broken ground, my horse fell 
again, so contusing my leg that I fancied at first it 
was broken ; but as the eyes of many hundreds of 
my comrades w^ere on me I proudly fought against 
the agony I suffered, and, with difficulty remounting, 
I continued my ride, and in a few minutes was, 
without further accident, at the point of destination. 
Lee's and Jones's men received the order to charge 
with loud cheers — the former moving forward to the 
attack in such magnificent style that an enthusiastic 
shout of applause rose along our lines on the heights, 
-whence the conflict could be plainly witnessed. The 
enemy received us with a shower of bullets. General 
William Lee fell wounded in the thigh. Colonel 
Williams was shot dead at the head of his regiment, 
and many other officers fell killed and wounded. 



LOSSES ON BOTH SIDES. 411 

But nothing could arrest the impetuous charge of the 
gallant Virginians ; and in a few minutes the Federal 
lines were broken and driven in disorderly flight 
towards the river, where the fire of several reserve 
batteries, posted on the opposite shore, put a stop to _^ 
the pursuit. This success on our left decided the • -3 
fate of the day. About dusk, the main body of the 
Federal cavalry, seeing their right flank now entirely 
exposed, commenced a retreat nnder protection of 
their infantry, and by nightfall the whole of the 
hostile force had once more recrossed the Eappahan- -^ 
nock. Thus ended the greatest cavalry battle ever 
fought on the American continent, about 12,000 
men being engaged on onr side, and about 15,000 
on that of the Federals, besides the infantry sup- 
port; and the combat lasted from daybreak till 
nightfall. The loss of our opponents was very 
severe in dead and wounded, and a great number of 
ofiicers fell, among whom was a brigadier- general, 
several colonels, besides many other of subordinate 
rank. About 400 privates and 40 ofBcers were 
captured, and a battery of four guns already men- 
tioned. The victory was a dearly -bought one on 
our side, and numbers of those who but a few days 
before had gaily attended the review, were now 
stretched cold and lifeless on the same ground. 
Among those whose death we mourned, was the 
gallant Colonel Hampton of the 2d South Carolina, 
brother of General Hampton, and Colonel Williams -^ 
of the 2d North Carolina; General William Lee, 
Colonel Butler, and many other officers of rank, were 
among the wounded. Our Staff had suffered very 
severely: Captain White wounded. Lieutenant Golds- ^ 
borough taken prisoner, and the gallant Captain ^^ 
Farley killed. Poor Farley ! after innumerable 
escapes from the perils into which his brilliant gal- 
lantry led him, his fate had overtaken him at last, ^ 
and he died as heroically as he had lived. Wliile 
riding towards the enemy, side by side with Colonel 



412 ASPECT OF THE FIELD OF BATTLE. 

Butler, a shell which passed clean through their 
horses, killing both these, shattered at the same time 
one of Butler's legs below the knee, and carried off 
one of Farley's close up to the body. When the 
surgeon arrived he naturally wished to attend first 
to the Captain as the more dangerously wounded, 
but this the brave young fellow positively refused, 
saying that Colonel Butler's life was more valuable 
to the country than his own, and he felt he should 
soon die. Two hours afterwards he was a corpse. 
We passed the night at a farmhouse close to the 
battle-field ; but in spite of the fatigues of the day 
I could find no rest, and passed the best part of the 
night bathing my injured leg, which was very swollen 
and painful, with cold water. 

I did not allow this, however, to prevent my ac- 
companying General Stuart on the following morn- 
ing on a ride towards the river and over the plains, 
which presented all the appearance of a regular 
battle-field. Principally was this the case in the 
immediate neighbourhood of our old headquarters, 
where the ground was thickly strewn with carcasses, 
on which hundreds of turkey buzzards had been 
gorging themselves, and were lying about in num- 
bers. In one spot, a few acres broad, where the 
cavalry had charged close up to a fence held by our 
skirmishers, I counted as many as thirty dead horses 
struck do^^^n by the bullets of our sharpshooters. 
On our return to headquarters, which in the mean 
time had been transferred to the shade of an oak 
grove a mile further to the rear, and close to a fine 
plantation possessed by a Mr Bradford, my negro 
Henry met me with an air of triumphant exultation, 
having with untiring energy, backed by cunning 
adroitness, succeeded in recovering one of my two 
missing horses — the stout bay. The illegitimate 
appropriator of the poor beast had frightfully dis- 
figured it to avoid detection ; its beautiful mane and 
tail were hacked short, but the sharp eyes of the 



FKESH ALARM FROM THE ENEMY. 413 

negro had not been baffled by tliis villanous trick. 
I had been the subject of General Stuart's raillery 
apropos of my lost horses, but ere long I was enabled 
to turn the laugh against him, for two of his best 
horses went astray and were lost in the same way, 
nor were they recovered for months after. Large 
numbers of the enemy being still on the other side 
of the river and displaying considerable activity, we 
expected that the late unsuccessful reconnaissance 
in force would be shortly renewed, and on the 13th 
we were even called to our saddles by an alarm. It 
proved a groundless one, however; and the following 
days passed without further active demonstration on 
the part of the Federals. 



CHAPTEE XXIV. 

COMMENCEMENT OF THE SUMMER CAMPAIGN — FORWARD 
MOVEMENT OF THE ARMY OF VIRGINIA — CAVALRY FIGHTS 
IN LOUDON AND FAUQUIER COUNTIES — THE CAVALRY 
FIGHT NEAR MIDDLEBURG, 19TH OF JUNE — I AM SE- 
VERELY WOUNDED — STAY AT UPPERVILLE, AND RETREAT 
FROM THERE TO MR B.'s PLANTATION — THE LAST EIGH- 
TEEN MONTHS OP MY STAY IN THE CONFEDERACY — DE- 
PARTURE FOR RICHMOND, AND SOJOURN AT THE CAPITAL 
AND IN THE VICINITY — WINTER 1863-64— STUART'S DEATH 
— DEPARTURE FOR ENGLAND. 

General Lee had by this completed his preparations 
for an advance into the enemy's country, whither 
the theatre of war was now to be transferred ; and, 
whilst a comparatively small body of troops still 
maintained a show in front of the Federals at Fred- 
ericksburg, the bulk of our army was being concen- 
trated in the vicinity of Culpepper, apparently with- 
out any suspicion of the fact on the part of the 



414 COMMENCEMENT OF OFFENSIVE MOVEMENTS. 

enemy's commander-in-cliief. The first object Gene- 
ral Lee sought to compass, was to clear the valley of 
Virgmia of its hostile occupants and to capture the 
town of Winchester. Ewell with his troops had 
already started in that direction some days before, 
and on the 15th the rest of our infantry began to 
move forward. Stuart was ordered to cover the 
movements of our army and protect its flank by 
marching on the Fauquier - side of the Blue Eidge 
Mountains ; and accordingly the morning of the 
16th found us betimes en route, and in high glee 
at the thought of once more invading Yankeedom. 
Having crossed the Hazel and Rappahannock rivers, 
we marched on in the same line we had followed in 
our retreat of November '62, and at noon halted for 
an hour to feed our horses at the little town of 
Orleans, where General Stuart and his Staff made a 
point of visiting our old friend Mrs M., by whom we 
^ were received with her usual kindness and hospi- 
tality. Our march thence lay through the rich and 
beautiful county of Fauquier, which as yet showed 
but little signs of suffering from the war, and at dark 
,we reached the Piedmont Station of the feltieaere- 
. y-bOhio Railway, where we bivouacked. Next morning 
as soon as it was light the famous guerilla chief Major 
]\Iosby, who had selected this part of the country 
for the scene of his extraordinary achievements, 
made his appearance in camp, reporting that the 
enemy's cavalry, which till recently had fronted us 
near Culpepper, was rapidly following a line of 
march parallel to our own, although as yet only 
small detachments were occupying the neighbouring 
county of Loudon. Our march was continued accor- 
dingly towards the village of Upperville, where our 
cavalry separated into several commands, with instruc- 
tions to move by different roads towards the Potomac. 
Stuart, taking with him Robertson's and Fitz Lee's 
commands, the latter of which turned off towards 
Aldie, proceeded in the direction of Middleburg, 



RECAPTURE OF MIDDLEBURG. 415 

whicli place lie and his Staff, galloping ahead of the 
troops, reached late in the afternoon. We were 
received in this pleasant little town with marked 
demonstrations of joy ; and as my friends here had 
heard from Eichmond the news of my death, but 
not its contradiction, I underwent another ovation 
at my quasi-resurrection. While paying one of the 
many visits I had to make to give bodily assurance 
of my presence in the world of the living, and re- 
lating my adventures to a circle of pretty young 
ladies, the streets suddenly resounded with the 
cry of ''The Yankees are coming!" raised by a 
party of horsemen who galloped through the town 
in frantic excitement, having formed part of one of 
our pickets, on whom the enemy, not supposed to 
be so near, had rather suddenly fallen. I had just 
time to rush out of the house and mount my horse 
when the enemy's cavalry poured into the town 
from various directions. I soon joined General 
Stuart, however, and the remainder of his Staff, who 
were riding off as fast as their steeds could carry 
them in the direction of our advancing troops, 
which we soon reached ; and General Stuart gave 
orders that General Robertson should move his 
regiments at a trot upon Middleburg, and drive the 
enemy from the town without delay. As I had a 
better knowledge of the country than Eobertson I 
was ordered to accompany the General, who was 
an old friend, and gladly consulted me as to the 
best mode of attack. It was already dark by the 
time we came up with our advanced pickets, about 
half a mile from Middleburg, and we found them 
supported by their reserve, under the command of 
Captain Woolridge of the 4th Virginia, engaged in a 
lively skirmish with the hostile sharpshooters. We 
were informed by this brave officer that the Fede- 
rals held the town in considerable force, and had 
erected a barricade at its entrance, which he begged 
as a favour to be allowed to storm. This was of 



416 ROUT AND FLIGHT OF THE ENEMY. 

course granted ; and with a cheer forward went the 
gallant little band, driving the tirailleurs rapidly 
before them, and taking the barricade after a short 
but sanguinary struggle. At the same moment our 
sabres rattled from their scabbards, and the main 
body of the brigade dashed forward to the charge at 
a thundering gallop along the broad turnpike road 
and down the main street, while two of our squad- 
rons went round outside the village to protect us 
from a flank attack. As I had felt rather ashamed 
at having been forced to run from the enemy under 
the very eyes of my fair friends, and was naturally 
anxious to afford them a spectacle of a totally dif- 
ferent character, I assumed my place of honour, 
leading the charge with General Eobertson, and to 
my intense satisfaction plunged into the enemy's 
ranks opposite the precise spot whence I had com- 
menced my flight, and whence, regardless of danger, 
the ladies now looked on and watched the progress 
of the combat. It lasted but a few seconds, for 
the enemy, unable to withstand the shock of our 
charge, broke and fled in utter confusion — a part 
of the fugitives taking the straight road along the 
main street, and the other turning off by the shorter 
route out of the town to the right. Leaving General 
Eobertson to pursue the former with one of his regi- 
ments, I took upon myself the responsibility of fol- 
lowing the latter with several squadrons, anticipating 
that the Federal reserves were in this direction. My 
supposition proved only too correct, for they were 
soon at hand to rescue their comrades, and in a few 
minutes we were engaged in a severe conflict. Bul- 
lets whizzed from either side — men and horses fell 
dead and wounded amidst unavoidable confusion 
through the extreme darkness of the night, and for a 
time it seemed doubtful whether I should be able to 
hold my ground against numbers so far superior. 
Fortunately General Eobertson, hearing the firing, 
soon came up with his regiment, and, taking now 



RENEWED COMBAT AND SUCCESSES. 417 

the offensive, we charged the Federals witli our united 
force in front, while the squadron we had sent round 
the village to the right took them in flank, the 
effect of which was to force our antagonists into a 
rapid retreat, in the course of which we took several 
officers and 75 privates prisoners. On our return to 
Middleburg the General and I remained another hour 
with our lady friends, who, with their accustomed 
devotedness, were busy nursing the wounded, large 
numbers of whom were collected in several of the 
residences. It was late in the night by the time we 
reached Mr Sector's plantation, about two miles to 
the rear, where our troops encamped. This spot is 
situated on a formidable hill, and being the crossing 
point of several of the principal roads, was a point of 
considerable strategical importance. 

Early the following morning a report was received 
from Fitz Lee announcing an encounter with a strong 
body of Federal cavalry near Aldie, which had ended 
in the repulse of the enemy and the capture of 60 
prisoners, among whom was a colonel and several 
other inferior officers. Our own loss had been heavy 
in killed and wounded, and among the former I lost 
my poor friend Major Eales of the 5th Virginia, who 
was struck by several bullets while leading his men 
to the charge. We got news also from William Lee's 
troops, commanded by Chamblis, who had come quite 
suddenly and unexpectedly on the cavalry we had 
driven from Middleburg, killing and wounding a 
great number and taking 140 prisoners. The glorious 
accounts had meantime reached us of the capture of 
Winchester and Martinsburg by Ewell, with more 
than 4000 prisoners, 30 pieces of artillery, and innu- 
merable stores of ammunition and provisions, render- 
ing the o^Dening of the campaign as favourable to its 
prospects as possible. As the prisoners taken during 
the last few days amounted to several hundreds, I 
was sent to Upper vi lie, whither they had been de- 
spatched, to superintend their transfer by detach- 
2d 



418 FIGHT IN FRONT OF MIDDLEEURG. 

ments to Wincliester — a duty in wliicli I was occu- 
pied the greater part of the day, until toward even- 
ing the sound of a brisk cannonade recalled me back 
to the front. There I found that the Federals had 
advanced in strong force on Middleburg, had driven 
back our troops, and were once more in possession of 
the town, and that all our efforts to retake it had 
been vain — the cause of these failures being attribut- 
ed to General Stuart's hesitation to direct the fire of 
our artillery on the village, fearing to inflict too much 
damage on the patriotic little place. The fighting 
was kept up till midnight, when, finding the enemy 
showed no intention of pushing their advantage any 
further for the present, our troops, with the excep- 
tion of a strong cordon of pickets, were withdrawn 
towards Eector's cross-roads, where we all encamped. 
The morning of the 19th dawned with all the 
bright beauty of the month of June, but the rising 
of the sun was also the signal for the recommence- 
ment of hostilities, and before we had had time to 
breakfast, a rapid succession of cannon-shots sum- 
moned us to the front. The enemy in strong force 
were advancing upon a patch of wood about a mile 
from Middleburg, which was held by our troops, 
consisting of Eobertson's and William Lee's com- 
mands ; the dismounted sharpshooters on both sides 
were exchanging a lively fire, and the shells from a 
number of hostile batteries were bursting with a 
sharp crack in the tree-tops. General Stuart took 
up his position on a hill about half a mile to the 
rear, commanding a good view of the plain in front, 
and over the fields to the right and left. Our Chief 
of Artillery being engaged in another direction, I 
received orders to place our batteries in position; 
and the nature of the ground allowed this to be done 
so favourably that the cross-fire of our guns at a later 
period saved us from serious disaster. I then rode 
forward to the extreme front, and, carefully recon- 
noitring the position of the enemy, I found that their 



MY KEPORT DISCREDITED. 419 

force was far superior to our own, and that they 
were overlapping us on either wing. General Stuart 
gave me so little credit for the accuracy of my report 
that he was for some time convinced that he could 
hold his ground with ease, and even entertained the 
intention of sending off the greater part of William 
Lee's troops towards Aldie. Through my earnest 
remonstrances this was deferred, however, and 1 was 
again despatched to the front to see if I had not 
overrated the forces of the enemy. What I saw 
only too thoroughly confirmed my first observations ; 
and I reported to General Stuart that in my opinion 
he would be forced to retreat, even if he kept the 
whole of his force together. But again he refused 
credit to the result of my observations, and said 
laughingly, " You're mistaken for once. Von ; T shall 
be in Middleburg in less than an hour," — requesting 
me at the same time to write out a permit for Long- 
street's Commissary, Major K, who wished to visit 
his friends in the town, to go there unmolested. I 
was just writing the document, and remarking to 
the Major that I was afraid he would not be able 
to make use of it, when suddenly the firing increased 
in heaviness, and we saw our men hastening from 
the woods in considerable confusion, followed by a 
dark mass of Federals in close pursuit. "Eide as 
quickly as you can, and rally those men; I will 
follow you immediately with all the troops I can 
gather," were Stuart's hasty instructions to me as 
he suddenly, though rather late, became convinced 
that I had all along been right. Just as I reached 
our breaking lines, the 9th Virginia, which had 
been in reserve, dashed forward in a magnificent 
charge ; the batteries I had previously posted opened 
a well-directed cross-fire on the Federal horsemen; 
the flying regiments responded to my call, and 
turned upon their pursuers, whom we drove rapidly 
back into the woods, killing and wounding a large 
number, and taking many prisoners, until a severe 

/ 



420 THE AUTHOR SEVERELY WOU^-DED. 

fusillade from the en( my's ^sharpshooters, posted on 
the outskirts of the wood, protected their retreat. 
I had just succeeded in re-forming our own men, 
about 200 yards from the wood, when Stuart came 
up, and, riding along the lines of his troops, who 
always felt relieved by his appearance in the 
moment of extreme danger, was received by them 
with enthusiastic cheers. He now ordered the regi- 
ments to withdraw by squadrons to a better position 
— a movement which was executed under cover oi 
a spirited lire from our batteries. The General 
and his Staff being the last to remain on the spot, 
we soon became a target for the Federal sharp- 
shooters, who, by the cheering, had become well 
aware that Stuart was in that small group of officers. 
Being dressed in the same fashion as the General — a 
short jacket and grey hat, with waving ostrich plume, 
and mounted on my handsome new charger — I was 
mistaken for him, and my tall figure soon engaged 
their particular attention, for the bullets came hum- 
ming round me like a swarm of bees. A ball had 
just stripped the gold-lace from my trousers, and I 
was saying to the General, riding a few steps before 
me on my left — " General, those Yankees are giving 
it rather hotly to me on your account," — when I 
suddenly felt a severe dull blow, as though somebody 
had struck me with his fist on my neck, fiery sparks 
glittered before my eyes, and a tremendous weight 
seemed to be dragging me from my horse. After a 
few moments of insensibility, I opened my eyes again, 
to find myself lying on the ground, my charger beside 
me, and a number of officers and men pressing round 
and endeavouring to raise me. My left arm hung 
stiff and lifeless, and the blood was spouting from a 
large wound on the side of my neck, and streaming 
from my mouth at every breath. Unable to speak, I 
motioned to my comrades to leave me, and save 
themselves from the hail of bullets the enemy were 
concentrating on them, two of the soldiers about me 



MY WOUND PRONOUNCED MORTAL. 421 

having already fallen lifeless. At the same moment, 
I saw the Yankees charging towards us from the 
woods ; and, certain that a few minutes more would 
leave me a prisoner in their hands, the hateful 
thought inspired me with the courage to summon all 
my strength and energy, and, managing to regain my 
legs, with the assistance of Captain Blackford and 
Lieutenant Eobertson of our Staff, I mounted my 
horse, and rode off from the field, supported by these 
two officers, whose devoted friendship could not have 
been proved by a more signal act of self-sacrifice. 
After a painful ride of more than a mile, coming 
across an ambulance, my comrades placed me in it, 
gave orders to the driver to carry me further to the 
rear, and then galloped off in another direction in 
search of our surgeon, Dr Eliason. Meanwhile the 
Federals were rapidly advancing, and numbers of 
their shells burst so near the ambulance that the 
driver was seized with fright, and, believing .that 
anyhow I was nearly dead, drove oft' at a gallop over 
the rocky road, regardless of my agonised groans, 
every movement of the vehicle causing a fresh effu- 
sion of blood from my wound. At last I could stand 
it no longer, and, crawling up to him, I put my 
cocked pistol to his head, and made him understand 
that I should blow out liis brains if he continued his 
cowardly flight. This proved effectual, and, driving 
along at a moderate pace, we were overtaken by Dr 
Eliason, who at once examined my wound, and found 
that the ball had entered the lower part of my neck, 
cut through a portion of the windpipe, and, taking a 
downward course, had lodged somewhere in my right 
lung, and that my left arm was entirely paralysed by 
the same shot. A shadow passed over the Doctor's 
face as he examined me, for he had a liking for me ; 
and reading in my eyes that I wished to have his 
undisguised opinion, he said, " My dear fellow, your 
wound is mortal, and I can't expect you to live till 
the morning," offering at tlie same time to execute 



422 SYMPATHY OF MY COMRADES. 

my last wishes. This was .sad enough intelligence 
for me ; but the very positiveness of the opinion 
aroused within me the spirit of resistance, and I 
resolved to struggle against death with all the energy 
I possessed. In this determined mood I was enabled 
to attend to some matters of duty, and to give orders 
on a piece of paper for our ordnance- waggons, which 
we met on the road. I was conveyed to Dr Eliason's 
house, where a bed was put up for me in the parlour, 
and I was attended to by the ladies of the family, 
who nursed me as though I had been a son of the 
house, whilst the Doctor's blind child was sobbing 
by my bedside. A dose of opium procured me a 
kind of half slumber or trance, during which, though 
unable to move, I could see and hear everything that 
was going on about me. One after the other all my 
comrades dropped in during the afternoon, and see- 
ing my face and neck swollen and disfigured by an 
accumulation of air, while my features were deadly 
pale, I could see by their expression that they be- 
lieved me dead already, and could hear the Doctor 
answer the repeated question, " Is he alive yet ? " 
with " Yes, but he will not live over the night." At 
last Stuart himself came, and, bending over me, he 
kissed my foi-ehead, and I felt two tears drop upon 
my cheek as I heard him say, " Poor fellow, your 
fate is a sad one, and it was for me that you received 
this mortal wound." I would have given anything 
to have had the power of grasping my friend's hand, 
and pronouncing a few words of thankfulness for his 
heartfelt sympathy; and when, in later times, I 
stood by his own deathbed, these friendly words 
came vividly before my recollection. I passed the 
night in a calm sleep, and the following morning 
found me, to the astonishment and delight of the 
Doctor and my comrades, not only alive, but wonder- 
fully refreshed and strengthened by my long sleep. 
The whole of the day I was much excited by the 
sound of a heavy cannonade, and received frequent 



ANXIETIES AND FEAKS. 423 

information tlirougli a courier who was detached to 
me as to the progress of a severe fight, in which the 
Yankees, supported by infantry, were pressing Stuart 
slowly back towards Upperville. The next night I 
again passed favourably, and on the forenoon of the 
21st I had the extreme gratification of seeing General 
Stuart again, who told me how much he had missed 
me during the action, of which he gave me a minute 
account. He told me, at the same time, it was quite 
possible that during the day he might be forced to 
fall back beyond Upperville, in which case I should 
be informed in time by one of his officers, and an 
ambulance would be in readiness to carry me out of 
reach of the enemy. 

In the early part of the forenoon the fighting re- 
commenced, the thunder of the cannon and the rattle 
of musketry sounded closer and closer, wounded men 
and stragglers began to pass through the village, and 
I became more and more nervous and excited. As 
hour after hour passed while I awaited full dressed 
the arrival of Stuart's promised conveyance and 
message, T repeatedly sent my courier out into the 
street, but the report was always, " Nothing heard of 
the General yet." The battle seemed raging in the 
immediate vicinity, and the shells bursting right 
over the village, when, to my great joy, my Prussian 
friend Captain Scheibert entered my room. At the 
first news of my misfortune, he had hastened from 
the distant headquarters of our army, bringing along 
with him General Longstreet's private ambulance, 
which the latter had placed at my disposal, sending 
me at the same time many kind messages urging 
me to start at once. This I declined to do, how- 
ever, as I was anxious to hear from General Stuart, 
for whose safety I entertained apprehensions. At 
last Captain Clarke, temporarily attached to our 
Staff, galloped in and informed me that General 
Stuart, wishing to avoid my being moved unneces- 
sarily, and hoping to be able to hold his ground for 



424 DANGERS OF OUE JOUENEY. 

a day longer, had delayed Ijis message as long as 
possible ; but the Federal cavalry, strongly sup- 
ported by infantry, having suddenly attacked with 
overwhelming numbers, he had been forced to a 
precipitate retreat, which rendered it necessary that 
1 should be moved away without an instant's delay. 
It was certainly a moment of no small excitement, 
when, after a cordial leave-taking with my kind host, 
I was carried by my friends to the ambulance, in 
the midst of shells bursting in the streets and crash- 
ing through the house-tops, fugitives rushing wildly 
by, wounded men crawling out of the way, riderless 
horses galloping distractedly about, whilst close at 
hand were heard the triumphant shouts of the pursu- 
ing foe. As my condition would not admit of my 
being conveyed so far as the infantry reserves,, which 
were eight miles away in the direction of the Shen- 
andoah, it was decided that I should be carried to Mr 
B.'s plantation, not more than two miles off, which, 
being only accessible by a small road, it was hoped 
the enemy would not visit. Turning to the left after 
leaving Upperville, w^e had, on our way thither, to 
pass for a short distance along the main road, whence 
I could see a great part of the battle-field and our 
men everywhere in rapid retreat ; the Federals, in 
hot pursuit, being not more than 500 yards from us, 
and their bullets frequently whizzing round our ears. 
The ambulance-driver did his best to get out of the 
way, while Scheibert and my servant Henry, who 
was leading my horses, in trying to keep up with us, 
presented a scene in which over-anxiety assumed a 
comical aspect. The Captain with the fiat of his 
sword was thrashing the mule Kitt, who was kicking 
and plunging in an obstinate mood, while Henry in 
front was dragging her forward, and answering the 
Captain's intimations, that he was doing more harm 
than good, with a grin ol^obtuse satisfaction. At 
last Mr B.'s plantation was reached -^dthout accident, 
and we found the proprietor waiting for us at the 



THE HOUSE SUEllOUNDED BY THE YANKEES. 425 

gate. He was very willing to receive me into his 
house, but insisted, to avoid discovery, that my 
ambulance and escort should leave as quickly as 
possible, and, Avhile I was being carried into the 
mansion by two old negroes, I saw them just plung- 
ing amidst the dense foliage of the neighbouring 
woods. A room was prepared for me on the ground- 
floor ; and so utterly exhausted was I, it was almost 
in a fainting condition that I fell upon the bed. 
Scarcely, however, had I been half an hour there, 
when I was awakened by the trampling of horses 
and the rattling of sabre scabbards, and an old 
servant entered, telling me in a whisper that the 
Yankees had come, and were surrounding the house. 
This alarming intelligence darted like an electric 
shock through my frame; and knowing that to be 
captured in my shattered state would be certain 
death, I resolved, with desperate energy, not to die 
without resistance. I reached down my arms with 
a painful effort, and placing my unsheathed sword, 
and revolver ready cocked, on the bed, prepared to 
shoot down the first of the enemy's troopers who 
should enter. Fully convinced that my last hour 
was come, I lay waiting to see the Yankees come 
in every moment ; but although I could hear them 
talking, and see them passing to and fro on the 
verandah, through the jalousies of the window, 
close to which my bed was placed, I was aston- 
ished to find they did not make their appear- 
ance. After about half an hour of the most thrill- 
ing anxiety, all seemed to have become suddenly 
quiet again ; and my kind-hearted host made his 
appearance, with the news that the Federals had 
gone for the present, but were still in the neigh- 
bourhood, and had stationed a picket on a hill 
a few hundred yards off ^ tie added that the hos- 
tile soldiers, whose heaM hg had won by a liberal 
supply of every kind of refreshment, had mentioned 
that they had been searching every house in Upper- 



426 VISITS FROM FRIENDS. 

ville and the vicinity for «, prominent Confederate 
(supposed for some time to be Stuart himself), who 
had fallen severely wounded, but that to all appear- 
ance he had died, and his body had been buried by the 
rebels previous to their retreat.* The rest of the even- 
ing passed rapidly away, nor were we again disturbed 
by the Federal soldiers, one or two only coming on 
separate occasions to fetch milk or other eatables. 
Next morning I was greatly surprised at the appear- 
ance of my servant Henry, who, in his anxiety about 
my fate, had crossed over from the opposite side of 
the Shenandoah, where he had left my horses in 
safety, and, hiding the mule in the woods about a 
mile off, had managed to steal unobserved through 
the Federal lines. I was quite touched at the fidel- 
ity of my negro, who sat all day at my bedside, 
anxiously watching every breath I drew. Later in 
the evening, to my great astonishment and delight, I 
received a visit from Dr Eliason, who informed us 
that the enemy was retreating, Stuart having retaken 
Upperville, and being in pursuit of the Federals in 
the direction of Middleburg. The Doctor was satis- 
fied with my progress towards recovery, and told me 
if 1 reached the ninth day he believed my wound 
would get quite well. The following day my friends 
from all parts of the army called in large numbers, 
among them Generals Stuart, Hampton, and Ptobert- 
son ; and I was delighted to have recovered my voice 
sufficiently to thank them for all their kindness 
and friendship. General Longstreet sent his three 
doctors, with all of whom I was intimate, and they 
brought me a message from him, stating that he was 
sorry he could not come himself, but that he would 
have advanced a whole division to get me out of the 
enemy's hands had they not retreated. Our army 

* The same storj'- was published afterwards in the Northern 
papers. " The big Prussian rebel, who was Stuart's right arm," 
they said, "had been killed at last, and his body buried at Up- 
perville." 



PROGRESS TOWARD RECOVERY. 427 

had in the mean time continued steadily advancing 
through the valley; and on the 25th all our troops 
left the vicinity of Upperville to march onward to 
the Potomac, leaving me behind, sad that I was no 
longer able to share in their fatigues, their dangers, 
and their glory. 

Henceforward my strength improved very rapidly; 
the outer wound had nearly closed ; from only being 
able to swallow a little cream I could now take more 
substantial food, and was allowed to sit up an hour 
or two in the verandah to enjoy the cool aromatic 
breeze travelling hither from the beautiful Blue Eidge 
Mountains. Every kindness was shown me by Mr 
B. and his family, and I received many kind mes- 
sages from the ladies of the neighbourhood, who sent 
me nosegays every day ; so that I should have felt 
perfectly happy had not my mind been troubled with 
the thought of being away from my comrades, and 
had not, moreover, the frequency of the Federal 
scouting parties crossing the Potomac rendered it 
dangerous that I should remain, my presence having 
become much more widely known in the vicinity. 
After postponing my departure several times I at 
last took leave of my kind hosts, and started off in 
an ambulance which General Eobertson had placed 
at my disposal, accompanied by a courier who had 
been detached to me, and by Henry with my horses. 
The journey to Culpepper was a tedious one, and the 
jolting of the ambulance along the rough roads was 
so painful that I had to ride on horseback the greater 
part of the way. I arrived, however, without acci- 
dent, except, indeed, the upsetting of my vehicle in 
the swollen waters of the Hazel river, through which 
I lost all my traps, with the exception of my arms 
and a little bag in which I kept my diary, and which 
I saved by jumping into the foaming stream at the 
imminent peril of my life. Leaving Henry with my 
horses behind me at Culpepper, I went in a hand-car 
to Orange, and thence by rail to Eichmond, where 



428 A^rJUVAL XT IIICHMOND. 

I met with a kind and cordial reception nnder the 
hospitable roof of Mr P., which for some time was to 
become my home. With the heat of the month of 
June my sufferings commenced, and were greatly 
aggravated by the conflicting rumours which reached 
me from Lee's army after the battle of Gettysburg. 
I could scarcely draw my breath, and coughed con- 
tinually night and day, bringing up quantities of 
blood with small frao^ments of the shattered vin^s of 
my windpipe, and pieces of clothing which the bullet 
had carried along with it. I was frequently attacked 
with fits of suffocation, which sometimes came upon 
me while walking in the street, and were so violent 
that I had to be carried home in a state of insensi- 
bility resembling death. At last my doctor, who had 
but little hope of my recovery, recommended me to 
try the effects of country air ; and having received 
pressing invitations from my friends at Dundee, in 
Hanover County, I went there towards the end of 
August. The very day after my arrival, my attacks, 
accompanied by severe fever, became so violent that 
I was prostrated on a sick-bed foi* two long months, 
every clay of which my kind friends expected would 
be my last. The natural strength of my constitution, 
however, carried me through all these trials ; and 
about the middle of October I was allowed to leave 
my room, but reduced to a skeleton, having lost ninety 
pounds in weight, and so weak I had to be carried 
about in a chair. On the first day I left my bed I 
was startled by the report that a body of Federals was 
approaching the house ; and, dreading the danger of 
capture more than the consequences of exposure, I 
insisted, against the earnest entreaties of my friends, 
on immediate departure. A fatiguing ride in a buggy 
over eighteen miles of rough road to Eichmond pro- 
duced, as was anticipated, a relapse, and I was again 
laid prostrate for nearly two months, during which 
1 received the kindest attentions from the inhabitants 
of Eichmond, principally Mr and ISivs P. and their 



I EECEIVE THE THANKS OF CONGRESS. 429 

family, at whose house I was staying, and who nursed 
and tended me as though I had been their own son. 
1 had frequent tidings from General Stuart and my 
comrades, and received from them letters full of friend- 
ship and affection. In one of these the General said : — 
*' My dear Von, my camp seems dull and deserted to 
me since you left. On the battle-field I do not know 
how to do without you, and I feel as if my right arm 
had been taken away from me." My chief had, even 
before I was wounded, tried to have me promoted to 
a Brigadier-Generalship, to which rank he considered 
me entitled, in consideration of my services and the 
facility with which on several occasions I had shown 
I could handle large bodies of troops. These recom- 
mendations for promotion were approved by General 
Lee, and desired, I am proud to say, by all the officers 
and men of the cavalry corps ; but the repeated ap- 
plications made by my General with this object were 
as often rejected by the officials at Eichmond, who 
hesitated, as it seemed, to promote a foreigner too 
rapidly. Great satisfaction, however, was afforded 
me by the public acknowledgment of my insignifi- 
cant services, which took place during the month of 
January 1864, in the form of a joint resolution of 
thanks by both Houses of the Confederate Congress. 
Lafayette was the last foreigner to whom this honour 
was accorded in America, and out of courtesy the 
resolution was couched in the same words as had 
been used on that occasion, and which were as fol- 
lows : — 

"Whereas Major Heros Von Borcke of Prussia, 
Adjutant and Inspector-General of the Cavalry Corps 
of the Army of Northern Virginia, having left his 
own country to assist in securing the independence 
of ours, and by his personal gallantry on the field 
having won the admiration of his comrades, as well 
as of his Commanding General, all of whom deeply 
sympathise with him in his present sufferings from 
wounds received in battle, therefore — Eesolved by 



430 SLOW PROGKESS TOWAED RECOVERY. 

tlie Congress of the Confederate States of America, 
that the thanks of Congress are due, and the same 
hereby tendered to Major Heros Von Borcke for his 
self-sacrificing devotion to our Confederacy, and for 
his distinguished services in support of our cause. 
Eesolved, That a copy of these resolutions be trans- 
mitted to Major Von Borcke by the President of the 
Confederate States." 

This document I received with a very flattering 
autograph letter from the President, which was fol- 
lowed by hundreds of congratulatory epistles from 
my comrades in the army, and from friends in all 
parts of the country. My health was progressing 
jjut slowly, although I daily gained strength, and I 
was gradually recovering the use of my left arm, the 
revivification of which, however, was attended with 
severe nervous pain. The winter in Ptichmond 
passed gaily away amidst a succession of balls, din- 
ner-parties, and private theatricals ; and being in my 
invalid state an object of sympathy, I had the luxury 
of being much petted by the fair residents and visi- 
tors of the capital. I had frequently the pleasure of 
seeing Stuart during the winter months, and once or 
twice visited him in his camp near Culpepper, where 
I was received on all hands, from the General down 
to the last courier, with so much tender attention 
that I was deeply touched, and felt it hard to tear 
myself from the gallant fellows to whom I was 
attached by so many ties of past association. As 
my health grew stronger I tried repeatedly, after the 
opening of the spring campaign, to take the field 
again, but each time I was severely punished for my 
imprudence by being thrown upon a sick-bed for 
weeks, and I had to confine my ambition to the dis- 
charge of ofiice duty in Eichmond, while General Lee 
was fighting the grand battles of the Wilderness and 
Spotsylvania, and Stuart was adding to his fame by 
new victories. 

On the morning of the lUh May 1864, Eichmond 



AGAIN TAKE THE FIELD. 431 

was thrown once more into a state of excitement by 
the rapid advance against it of the Federal cavalry 
under General Sheridan, who had managed to march 
round our lines. Several brigades of infantry has- 
tened from the south side of the James river to the 
defence of the city ; the militia was called out, and 
all expected that the outer lines of fortifications would 
every moment become the scene of a serious combat. 
Everything continued quiet, however, in that direc- 
tion until about eleven o'clock, when a sudden can- 
nonade sounded in the rear of the enemy — the inde- 
fatigable Stuart having followed in their track, and 
with the small force, which was all he had been able, 
owing to the rapid marching, to take with him, being 
now enabled to cut off the Federal line of retreat. 
The sound of our light guns, which I recognised so 
well, did not fail to rouse me into a state of excite- 
ment ; and as an old war-horse prances and curvets 
at the shrill ringing of the trumpet, I felt the blood 
pour like electric fire through my veins, and rushed 
about in feverish uneasiness. I fancied I heard my 
sword rattling in its scabbard to summon me to the 
scene of conflict by my GeneraFs side ; but, as I was 
separated from my own chargers, I tried to borrow a 
horse for the occasion from one of my many friends. 
All my endeavours to this effect, however, w^ere vain ; 
everybody had already hastened to the front, and, 
unable to bear the suspense any longer, I impressed 
by force one of the horses from the first Government 
team I came across, and, throwing my saddle on its 
back, hurried off to the scene of action. The animal 
I had laid hold of was a miserable little pony, but I 
managed to spur him forward at a tolerably swift 
pace ; and rapidly passing our double line of in- 
trenchments, I soon reached our last infantry pickets, 
where I endeavoured to ascertain the exact position 
of our own troops and of the enemy. As the hostile 
force lay immediately between ours, it was not easy 
to get this information ; but a road was pointed out 



432 GENERAL STUAET WOUNDED. 

to me with such assurance that it would take me 
to General Stuart without bringing me into collision 
with the Yankees, that I galloped along it with very 
little precaution, and had just crossed over a bridge, 
when, from the woods on the right and left, a scat- 
tered band of federal cavalry bore down upon me 
with loud shouts, firing their revolvers at me, and 
demanding my surrender. I immediately turned 
my pony's head round, and galloped off to the rear 
with all the speed I could, and an exciting chase 
now ensued for several miles, till it was put a stop 
to by the fire of our pickets, whom I reached • com- 
pletely exhausted, and thoroughly surprised at my 
narrow escape. It was sufficiently evident, by the 
sound of the firing, that Stuart was hardly pressed, 
and I hastened at once to General Bragg, command- 
ing our infantry, wliich, from a succession of rein- 
forcements, was now of considerable strength, beg- 
ging him at once to advance several brigades to the 
assistance of Stuart. The cautiousness characteristic 
of that general, however, induced him to resist my 
appeals, and finding further effort useless, I slowly 
retraced my steps to Eichmond. The rapid run and 
the excitement of my pursuit had proved too much for 
my strength, and I had scarcely reached the outskirts 
of the town, when, as I approaclied a friend's house, 
the blood began to stream from my mouth, and I 
was carried, half fainting, to my temporary domicile 
at Mr P.'s, where I was immediately put to bed. 
After a long and refreshing sleep, I was awakened 
suddenly about daybreak by the voice of Dr Brewer, 
Stuart's brother-in-law, who informed me that my 
General had been wounded severely, and carried 
during the night to his place, where he was anxious 
to see me. Forgetting my own condition at these 
sad tidings, I dressed myself in a few minutes and 
hastened to the bedside of my dear friend, whom I 
found in a small room of the Doctor's house, sur- 
rounded by most of the members of his StaS". He 



GENERAL STUAKT WOUNDED. 433 

received me with a smile, saying, '' I'm glad you've 
come, my dear Von ; you see they've got me at last, 
but dont feel uneasy. I don t think I'm so badly 
wounded as you were, and I hope I shall get over 
it as you did." He then recounted to me all the 
incidents of the combat, and the manner in which 
he had been wounded. Hoping every hour to hear 
of General Bragg's attack, which in all probability 
would have resulted in the annihilation of the whole 
force of the enemy, he had successfully resisted their 
efforts to break through his lines, and for more 
than six hours had fought with eleven hundred men 
against eight thousand. At about four o'clock, the 
Federals succeeded by a general charge in breaking 
and driving back one of our regiments which Gene- 
ral Stuart was rallying in an open lield. When 
continuing their advance the enemy were met by 
the 1st Virginia and driven back again in confusion. 
Seeing near him some of the dismounted Federal 
cavalry, who were running off on the opposite side 
of a high fence, Stuart rode up to them calling on 
them to surrender, and firing at them as they con- 
tinued their flight. He had just discharged the 
last barrel of his revolver when the hindmost of the 
fugitives, coming close up to the fence, fired his 
revolver at him, the ball taking effect in the lower 
part of the stomach and traversing the whole body. 
Stuart, finding himself severely wounded, and the 
enemy at the same time renewing their attack, 
turned his charger quickly round and galloped half 
a mile further to the rear, where he was taken 
from his horse nearly insensible from loss of blood, 
and sent in an ambulance to Eichmond. During 
the early part of the morning the General felt com- 
paratively easy, and the physician entertained great 
hope that the wound might not prove fatal. Towards 
noon, however, a change took place for the worse, 
and our fears began to be greatly excited. About 
2e 



434 HIS LAST HOURS AND DEATH. 

this time President Davis visited the prostrate hero ; 
taking his hand, the President said, " General, how 
do you feel ? " He replied, " Easy, but willing to die 
if God and my country think I have fulfilled my 
destiny and done my duty." As evening approached 
mortification set in, and no hopes could any longer 
he entertained. He became delirious, and his mind 
wandered over the battle-fields where he had fought, 
then to his wife and children, and again to the 
front. Mrs Stuart was absent with her children 
in the country, and several messages had been 
despatched informing her of her husband's state, 
and urging her instant return to Eichmond ; and in 
the intervals of relief from pain and delirium, the 
General frequently inquired if she had not yet come, 
beginning now to doubt the possibility of his re- 
covery. About five o'clock the General asked Dr 
Brewer, his brother-in-law, how long he thought it 
possible he could live, and whether he could survive 
through the night ; and being told that death was 
rapidly approaching, he nodded, and said, " I am re- 
signed, if it be God's will ; but I should like to see 
my wife. But God's will be done." He then made 
his last dispositions, and took leave of us all, I being 
the last. I had been sitting on his bed, holding his 
hand in mine, and handing him the ice, which he ate 
in great abundance, and which was applied to his 
burning hot wounds to cool them. Drawing me to- 
wards him, and grasping my hand firmly, he said, 
" My dear Von, I am sinking fast now, but before I 
die I want you to know that I never loved a man as 
much as yourself I pray your life may be long 
and happy ; look after my family after I'm gone, and 
be the same true friend to my wife and children that 
you have been to me." These were the last connected 
words he spoke ; during the next few hours the par- 
oxysms of pain became more frequent and violent, 
until at about seven o'clock death relieved the suffer- 



GENERAL ORDER ANNOUNCING HIS DEATH. 435 

ing hero from liis agonies. Poor Mrs Stuart arrived 
an hour after the General's death. Of all the mes- 
sages sent to her, my telegram alone had reached ; 
but the operator hearing, after I had left the office, 
that Stuart was getting better, altered the words " the 
General is dangerously wounded," and substituted 
" slightly wounded." The poor lady arrived at Dr 
Brewer's house, unaware of her husband's death ; and 
when, on asking if she could see the General, and 
receiving an affirmative answer, she rushed up-stairs, 
expecting to find him alive, it was only in the most 
cruel manner, by the spectacle of her husband's cold 
pale brow, that she learned the terrible misfortune 
which had befallen her and her children. I myself 
mourned my chief as deeply as if I had lost a be- 
loved brother ; and so many of my friends being 
soon after called away, I really felt possessed with a 
longing that I might die myself On the evening of 
the 13th, in the midst of the roaring of the enemy's 
cannon, which reached us from Drewry's Bluff, we 
carried Stuart's remains to the beautiful cemetery at 
Hollywood, near Eichmond, where he lies in a simple 
grave by the side of his beloved little daughter Flora. 
Of a calm summer evening I frequently rode out to 
this quiet spot, sitting for hours on my leader's grave, 
recalling his excellent qualities, and musing over the 
many glorious battles through which we had fought 
side by side. 

General Lee announced the death of General Stuart 
in the following order : — 



"Headqfaeters of the Army or Northern Virginia, 
May 20, 1864. 

" The Commanding General announces to the 
army with heartfelt sorrow the death of Major- 
General J. E. B. Stuart, late Commander of the 
cavalry corps of the Army of Northern Virginia. 



436 MY RECOVERY AGAIN RETARDED. 

Among the gallant soldiers who have fallen in this 
war, General Stuart was second to none in valour, in 
zeal, in unflinching devotion to his country. His 
achievements form a conspicuous part of the history 
of this army, with which his name and services will 
be for ever associated. To military capacity of a 
high order, and all the noble virtues of the soldier, he 
added the brighter graces of a pure life, sustained by 
the Christian's faith and hope. The mysterious hand 
of an all-wise God has removed him from the scene 
of usefulness and fame. His grateful countrymen 
will mourn his loss and cherish his memory. To 
his comrades in arms he left the proud recollection 
of his deeds, and the inspiring influence of his 
example. 

" E. E. Lee, General." 

My grief at the death of Stuart, and the excite- 
ment of the last few days, had a very injurious effect 
on my health for months afterwards, and again I 
had to resign the hope of once more taking the 
field. During the month of June, General liandolph 
wrote to General Lee in the name of several pro- 
minent citizens, by whom, as well as by himself, it 
was considered a measure of safety for the capital, 
requesting that I might be put in command of 
a brigade of cavalry, to be stationed near Eich- 
mond. This application was strongly seconded by 
General Hampton, Stuart's worthy successor, and by 
General Lee himself, but it was rejected at the War- 
Office, on the score of my health, and an infantry 
officer was afterwards put in command of the same 
troops. Under these circumstances, instead of doing 
service in the field I had to spend the summer and 
autumn in light duties, inspections, &c., filling up 
the rest of my time with visits to friends in the 
mountains of Virginia, where my poor suffering 



MISSION TO ENGLAND. 437 

luno-s had tlie benefit of tlie cool aromatic breezes. 
As ^winter approached, a proposal already mooted' 
several times— namely, that of sending me abroad 
on Government duty, but which, till then, I had 
always refused, hoping soon to be able to go into 
active campaigning —was renewed. There being 
very little chance of active service during the cold 
weather, and General Hampton, General Lee, and 
President Davis, urging me to go on a mission for 
the Government to England, I at last yielded to 
their wishes, hoping to be back for the spring cam- 
paign. My commanding officer had in the mean 
time urgently requested that my rank should be 
raised to that of Colonel, and the day before my 
departure I had the gratification of receiving my 
promotion from the hands of the President. After 
a tedious journey of four days and four nights, I 
reached AVilmington on Christmas-day ; and while 
the heavy guns were roaring at the first bombard- 
ment of Port Fisher, I ran the blockade in the late 
Confederate war -steamer Talahassee, arriving in 
England, after a circuitous route by the West India 
Islands, in the month of February 1865. There I 
was saved the grief of being an eyewitness of the 
rapid collapse of the Confederacy, and the downfall 
of a just and noble cause. 

Lee's glorious army is no longer in existence : the 
brave men who formed it have, after innumerable 
sufferings and privations, bowed to the enemy's 
power and numbers, and dispersed to follow peaceful 
pursuits. But those who have survived the fearful 
struggle for independence, can look back upon a 
series of battles and victories unequalled in history ; 
and every one of us will for ever speak with pride 
of the time when he was a soldier of the army of 
Northern Virginia. I myself am still an invalid. 
The ball which I carry in my lungs gives me fre- 



438 KECOLL^CTIONS OF THE WAE. 

quent suffering, and has broken my once so robust \^ 
health ; but as every renewal of my pains reminds ■ , 
me of the past, they are alleviated and almost 
effaced by the pleasure with which I revert to the 
time when I fought side by side with those brave 
men ; and I shall ever rejoice that I drew my sword 
for the gallant people of the late Confederacy. 

'1^7 £.■";■ 

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THE END. 



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